Dad's Letter

Sept 3, 1967

Dear Son,

This is a letter long overdue. It expresses feelings I have had about you for many years.

I loved those early years when you and your brother were very young. You two had your relational difficulties but I felt so good about you both and so enjoyed all that we did together. We went to ball games, movies, musical performances, out to dinner on special occasions like the Blue Front and Jays Marine Grill. I will never forget the family trip to the West Coast and the time you and I went to Florida with Floyd Bruntz and his dogs to the Pensacola Kennel Club. We exercised his dogs, swam in that clear North Florida water and ate endless shrimp at the Embassy Cafe. 

Then Lewie was out of High School and off to the Air Force. You became heavily involved in HS, athletics. With Lewie gone I thought it would be a time when you and I could spend more time together but it actually worked the other way. We seemed to drift apart like never before. You wanted to spend more time with your friends and girlfriends which was natural but it was more than that. You seemed to challenge me and disobey me constantly and didn’t seem to want to spend any time with me. You spent two summers away at the Young Life Ranch and your mother and I became worried that you were getting much too religious. Your mother and I were active in our church and were very moral people but you did not seem to want to discuss with us your new found faith. 

Upon graduation from H.S. you were offered a full four year scholarship to U of Texas but instead without discussing it with me you chose to attend Wheaton College in Illinois, a school that gave limited financial support. I did not understand.So you went to Wheaton on your own and in fact were very successful in athletics there.You were on their Championship Basketball Team and you became a First Team All American Soccer Player for two years. 

 During the first year of two we didn’t hear too much from you but then you began to communicate again. You visited us on just about every major holiday and wrote to us consistently. You began to show that in fact you loved us very much and wanted to be with us as much as possible. Upon your graduation you informed us you were going to be married and then go into the Army as an Officer. You were married, served your two years on active duty and then told us you felt called to Ministry and were going to seminary. As usual your mother and I were not a part of your decision making process but you did keep us well informed. You graduated from seminary and became Pastor of the Newburyport Church. You had three sons. You and your family made long drives to see us in Texas and kept us very informed about all that was happening in your life.

Now you have accepted an appointment as a Cadet Chaplain at the United States Military Academy, West Point. You will be asked to offer moral, religious and spiritual guidance to the Long Gray Line.

So, back to Why Am I Writing This Letter To You Now? It’s just to let you know how much I admire you and how proud I am of you. For so many years I thought there was something wrong with you. I looked at your independent streak as a flaw. I thought that you overdid it with your religion. Now I realize that so many of the things I considered negatives were in fact your growing and evolving strength of character. You had to leave the nest. You had to spread your wings. You had to be on your  own. You had to find your own True North. 

You took the harder way. You took the Road Less Traveled. 

My love for you grows and grows. 

Happy Birthday Son. 

Dad

September 3, 1967