Many of you have asked what to get Jacob for Christmas. We have thought about this, and yes, toys and clothes are wonderful. But, we hope you entertain this other idea, at the very least.
Recently I've read a book called "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch...maybe you've heard of it? This man, an incredible testament to fatherhood, gave a final lecture at Carnegie Mellon shortly before he died of pancreatic cancer. In it he details his life's lessons, whether learned or taught. He talked of teaching lessons to those who aren't expecting it. Teaching by example, hard work, and honesty. He wrote the book so his 3 children would know his father.
So, I thought, why wait...what we wish for Christmas is for each of you to write a letter to Jacob. Tell him who you are, your story, and what you wish for him. What do you want to teach him? What wisdom can you give him? Can you pass to him one of your life's greatest lessons? Tell him about your families...your parents, your siblings, your life. Tell him the stories that we can't. Tell him stories about us!
We will be writing Jacob a letter, too. We haven't decided when he'll get these letters...but one day when he's mature enough to understand the messages, we will give them to him. We won't read them unless he asks us to...this is your private conversation to him.
We would love it if you would do this for him. If you need inspiration, read the book.
Love,
All of us
