The Letters

It started when I was little. My Dad used to take trips for his job and I always hated when he left. So, one day, my Dad had an idea. He wrote a letter to me before he left and mailed it out so that it would come back to our house while he was gone. The letters were written on cool paper and were never written in a normal fashion. I loved getting mail and I loved the fact that my Dad had written a letter just for me. As I got older I got used to my Dad traveling and for a while he did not travel much so the letters turned into notes or just cool quotes that he had heard or read.

After high school, I was the one who was leaving and who would not be coming back for a while. That is when the letters started coming again. Now, they come about once a week. He always sends me a card that has puppies or some other fun picture on the front. The letters are written sideways, up, down, in circles, diagonally and I have even had a letter that was cut into pieces that I had to put together like a puzzle.

At first I thought, “What’s the big deal. Why do they mean so much to me? They are just letters.” But, I have managed to keep every single letter that my Dad has sent me. Through my years in college I have met quite a few people who have never known their Dad or don’t really want to get to know their Dad anymore than they already do. It’s actually kind of sad when you think about it. But, it makes me appreciate who my Dad is and what he does in order to let me know that he loves me.

They are just letters to anybody else who might happen to see them. But to me, it is what the letters represent that matters most. My Dad works hard and long weeks and he still takes the time out of his week to write me a letter. He knows how much they mean to me now and he knows what a highlight they are in my week.

This week is no different. It is the first week of the school year and a letter made its way across the country just so my Dad could tell me that he loves me. It does not take much time or effort but it does take some. As kids we sometimes take for granted all the things that are parents do for us. Every once in a while we see the things they do and notice the difference that they have on our lives.

I guess I never truly appreciated it until now but I will never forget the letters that my Papa has written me.