I was still trying to figure life out when your dad and my son was born.  It was smack dab in the middle of what I would describe as the mistake-prone years of my life.  I loved your dad immensely and wanted a better, more mistake-free life for him than I had.  I just didn’t have the maturity I needed to give it to him.  A lot of the time I feel pretty guilty thinking back on some of the mistakes I’ve made.  I tried to be a good father and still do, for that matter, but I don’t think I did as good of a job as I could have.

I learned a lot over the years raising your dad and watching him grow up to be a man.  He’s a good one, too.  Now with the benefit of hindsight and a little more wisdom than I had so many years ago, I decided I would write some letters to you in the form of a blog.  It’s my sincere hope that you will glean bits and pieces from these letters and that you will be able to avoid some of the mistakes I made.

I decided that I’m going to be pretty honest with you and tell you things the way they really happened.  You may end up losing a little respect for me and you will come to understand that I was far from a perfect man.  However, if it helps you avoid some of the mistakes I made and you live a better life because of it, well, I think it’s worth it.

I love you, Lane, and I want you to have a happy, healthy, life.  I want the best for you.

Grandpa Rich