Today

Jackson,

Today I realized that I was one day not going to be here for you. It is hard to think about and while we were rocking in the chair in your room, this is what I told you. I pray every day that when I leave this earth, you know I will watch over you every day. Every day until we meet again, I will wait for you at the gates of Heaven. I will love you forever, and you are never alone. Life will get hard, the rough patches only last a little while. You are bound to be better than I ever was, because my greatest wish is that you are more successful than I ever will be.  I will forever be your guardian angel.

There is one thing I want you to know however, and that is to achieve great things, you have to take great chances. Your dad was never a risk taker, I am afraid of heights, flying, and I cannot stand elevators. However, your dad was really good at meeting people and eventually became a very social person. One of the chances that I took that forever changed my life was an internship at the Tennessee State Senate. It taught me how to grow up, pay my bills, and live on my own.

 I took this chance late in college and when I did I met one of my best friends in the world. She and I have always been hundreds of miles apart, but we are never out of each others prayers. Your Aunt Heather has seen me at my best, and she has seen me at my lowest point, but by randomly choosing to do something I would have never normally done, I made a friend for life. I took a chance in meeting your mother and eventually took a chance to get her to marry me. I guess what I am saying is that without taking a chance in this life, I wouldn't be where I am today, and those risks have made all the difference. By the time you can read and understand this, I don't know where in life we will be, but I hope you can take to heart the lesson I am trying to impart here. Take a chance, be great at whatever you choose, and know you are loved and supported in all you do. I will talk to you soon, but until then....

I love you Son,

Dad