Dear Max,

Once you are on your own in the real world – pretty much college and beyond – you will encounter some harsh realities. How you treat yourself will reflect how you teach others to treat you. You will realize that nobody else, other than your family, will help you unless you help yourself.

Nobody else will:

• Motivate you
• Wake you up
• Challenge you to do better
• Help get your work done on time
• Help you up
• Tell you how to get ahead
• Warn you not to go down the wrong path
• Give you money when you’re hungry
• Put clothes on your back
• Provide for your family
• Watch out for your reputation

Will you? I think you know the answer to this by now. Call me if you ever need a reminder.

Love,

Dad