A Napa Father's Letter to His Son

Dearest Adam,

This Sunday is the first day that you get to experience Father's Day as a daddy. We know it will be a joyous and happy day for you. Congratulations to you and your beautiful son, our grandson, Axel.

You are such a great and wondrous person. There are many attributes and characteristics about you that I admire; all of which will be enhanced to greater depths now that you are a dad.

You have always made me proud of you and I am humbled by you in so many ways. Your many talents in band and on the stage were your gifts from God which you used in humility. Your creative mind showed when you were young and has served you well. Someday your son will be thankful for your creative, fun-loving self, and he may even tell you so! I’ve always (well, usually) been thankful and delighted by your unique ways. What blessings of joy you have brought to my life.

As a father you will become a more patient and more tolerant person. You will find love inside you you never knew existed. You will sacrifice some of the things you used to do and be happy for those sacrifices. You will actually grow and become a better person, if that's possible.

Your understanding on unconditional love will grow. You will have joy beyond measure watching your child develop into a great man.

Unfortunately, you will worry a little more than you used to—especially  at every cough, unanswered call, and worried look your son will show on his face sometimes. You will depend on the power of prayer more than you ever have and thank God often for your wonderful son. There will be times of anguish, frustration and disappointment. But every one of those times will be countered by joy, wonderment, happiness, pride and contentment a million times fold. You, your wife and your sister continue to bring a fulfillment to my life that adds to my overall happiness.

Since we all have Dads you would think we would understand all this through our experiences. But we really don't grasp it until we raise a child. I love my dad dearly, yet as I was raising children, I grew to love, respect, and appreciate my dad even more. I believe that those who have not raised children still have some dormant soul in them.

Your Mom and I can see a big difference in hearts and minds and souls of people who raised children versus those who have not. And it is all good. I know you're enjoying this adventure in fatherhood.

Being a parent has changed me for the better and though I have been far from perfect, I wish for you the ability to discern what I did close to right and improve on it to make it even better. You won’t be the perfect father; that is reserved for our Heavenly Father, but I know you will be superb. Axel is very blessed to have you for a father. You chose well for the woman to be your children’s mother, so Axel is twice blessed. May God continue to bless you, Axel, and Jaye.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY dearest son!

LOVE,

DAD