THESE BUSY TIMES

Dear Spike:

Someday, when you’re old enough to read all these letters, you might notice a gap between April 23 and May 6 in which your father didn’t write a single word for you. In the nearly three years I’ve been penning these letters, I’ve never let such a long period go by without so much as a word for posterity.

My devotion to you has not waned in these weeks, nor has your life suffered from a lack of interesting episodes, worthy of documentation and contemplation. This has simply been a busy time for me, a period in which converging deadlines at work and school have left precious little time for other pursuits.

You’ll have these busy times too, one day — times in which you won’t have the time or energy to visit with your dad via whatever communication technology is in vogue at the time.

And I’ll understand. Everything you’re mother and I are doing for you, right now, is designed to prepare you to live a healthy, independent, successful and fulfilling life. In the midst of all that, I’m sure there will be many days — and maybe many weeks — that we will not have the opportunity to communicate. I’ll love you nonetheless.

Then there is that chance — slim, I hope — that I will not be there at all. One day I’ll simply have written my last word for you. You’ll have to take it from there. A gap of two weeks will turn into four. Four will turn to eight. And so on and so on forever. I hope that when that day comes you never feel as though I was too busy for you in the times I could have been.

You’ll  never suffer from a lack of my devotion or interest in your life. But if you ever feel you’re suffering from a lack of attention, you are free to ask for an adjustment to our lives.

For you should never doubt that you are the most important thing in my life. And I will do my vest best never to give you reason to even contemplate it.

Love,

dad