"May I have some paper and a pen?" asked John Dawson to the man who would be his executioner. "I want to write my son a letter." In the novel Dawn we do not learn what was written in the letter. We are left with the question; What exactly does a man write to his son for the last time? This part of the book triggered memories of a letter I wrote to Katie Beth the night before my exploratory surgery. The idea of her growing up without me unhurled pain the likes I had never known. I prayed and asked God to help me as I wrote. The words flew onto the page. I shared my hopes and dreams for her future, words of wisdom I hoped she would treasure, and my faith. My surgery went great and the letter was never delivered. I however was changed through the process. I have reread the letter a number of times. Usually I seek it when my world has gone fuzzy and I need the clarity found best in that very scary moment. What was originally intended as a road map for my daughter has tu...
We write to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection." (Anaïs Nin)