A Letter to My Son

Dear Karta,

Let me start by saying how much I love you. You and your mummy have brought light into my life, lifted me up and made me whole. This is the first of a series of letters that I’ll be writing to you. I hope that you’ll be able to take comfort from these in the future.

I’ve always tried to be a good father, but here is a list of things that I’ve found out about and that you should try to apply to your life.

  • Aim to live a wild, generous, full exciting life. Be kind to those around you & see the good in all.
  • Follow your dreams.
  • Have a few close friends who you see often; their friendship matters more than having many shallow acquaintances.
  • Be honest & vulnerable with those close to you. It creates strong bonds.
  • Don’t be held back, either by fear or by lack of confidence. GO FOR IT, despite these very normal emotions that we all feel occasionally.
  • Build people up.
  • Be faithful – any old slime can cheat.
  • Smile & laugh more than is considered normal.
  • Be loyal – it’s the mark of a man.
  • Exercise at least every other day, make it a habit. Then you will shine even brighter.
  • Choose your job carefully, do work that excites you. It is where you will spend so much of your time.
  • Choose a job that betters peoples lives.
  • Don’t be afraid to be weak occasionally.
  • Snack on nuts & fruit, they suppress appetite & make you healthy.
  • Cheerfulness under adversity is an essential character trait in the game of life.
  • Moments of doubt are part of life. Accept them and move on.
  • Encourage & help.
  • Understand that failure is an essential stepping stone to success.
  • Give more than you take, especially with friends & family. See the best in people.
  • Compliment people – kind words can change lives & people rarely forget.
  • Manners do matter, in fact, they make the man.
  • Remember that how you speak about others speaks loudest about yourself.
  • Be the most enthusiastic person you know.
  • BE GENTLE.
  • Consider others better than yourself.
  • Be exceptionally kind, thoughtful & generous to those who are overlooked in life; this is the measure of a real man.
  • Be courageous in critical moments.
  • Put 10% of your income aside & give that money to those in need, whether friends or charities. You have the power to save lives.
  • If supply is short, then look for something to give away. It is a universal law – to receive, you must first give.
  • If you want to see the real man, give him power over people & see what he does. Remember this in how you treat people.
  • Be kind to those whom others neglect.
  • Speak generously about people.
  • Sometimes it is worth losing a battle to win the war.
  • Help friends & family in need.
  • Don’t lend money; instead, give it.
  • Say “why not?” rather than “why?”.
  • Always be on-time, never late.
  • The people to be nicest to in life are your wife & your children; give them the most time, energy & love, and you will be a happy man.
  • Spend more time with your family & less at work. No one on their deathbed says they wish they had spent more time in the office.
  • Marry only for love.
  • Lead by example.
  • Try to hold a person’s hand when you listen to them.
  • Don’t lie.
  • No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.
  • You have two ears & one mouth, use them in proportion; listen twice as much as you speak.
  • Don’t better peoples stories.
  • Always look people in the eye.
  • Have a firm handshake.
  • When you ring someone, first ask them if it’s a good time to talk.
  • Don’t be afraid to be quiet & let others shine.
  • Treat others as you would like to be treated.
  • Be extra cautious if mixing business with friendship.
  • Pride comes before a fall, so let others win. There is room for everyone to do well.
  • Be ambitious, think big & take calculated risks.
  • Be open, honest & fair in all of your dealings.
  • It’s okay to be weak, with less of you there is more room for everything else.
  • When you’re right, shut up, and when you’re wrong, admit it!
  • BE THE FIRST TO APOLOGISE!
  • Enjoy the silence.
  • Make a little time to be quiet by yourself every day and just be.
  • Crying is healthy.
  • Always hold hands with those you love whenever you have the chance.
  • Learn a few clean jokes & a good card trick.
  • Laugh at yourself.
  • Learn to play an instrument.
  • Always show your gratitude.
  • Don’t go into battle unless it is absolutely necessary, to turn the other cheek takes great strength and courage.
  • Swim in rivers and the sea, be spontaneous, it’s fun!
  • Watch a sunrise occasionally.
  • Make people smile every day.
  • Know that I love you and am always with you, and oh so proud.

All of my love to you, now and forever.

Daddy.