Message in a bottle

It's a tough job being a parent.

You need the Wisdom of Solomon, the stamina of a marathoner, and the deep pockets of a bank.

It's a job I wouldn't trade for the world – although some nights I'd appreciate just a bit more sleep, please?

My parents taught me a lot.  Oh, I didn’t recognize it at the time of course.  Like most kids, I knew three things for sure: I was invincible; my parent’s didn’t understand; and, when I grew up, I wouldn’t make the mistakes of my parents.

Since then, of course, I’ve learned that I won’t live forever; my parents understood a lot more than I thought and I’m probably making a whole new set of mistakes as a father.

But, I’m not unarmed.  Before he died recently, my father gave me a set of values and a few nuggets of wisdom that I’ve already started to pass on to my daughter.  And, I know he felt lucky that he had the chance to share his distilled wisdom and expressions of love.

That’s what’s behind a message in a bottle.  My friend Dana and I want to give fathers, mothers, grandparents and others a chance to pass on their wisdom, their experience, their love. The first edition is a collection of messages from fathers to their children and will be published in the fall of 2007.

And, you’re invited to participate.