Dear Max,

There is a sort of brilliance to new things. One being that nobody has seen or experienced it before.

When you’re headed into a new situation you can look at it one of two ways. The first is that you’re scared. You’re not sure what will be next or if you will find your place. The second is the excitement for the new – my preferable approach.

New situations should be embraced. They give you the chance to reinvent yourself, your meaning and your status. Think about how invigorating that can be. Nobody knows you. You can literally be and do anything you want, within reason.

Love,

Dad

Dear Max,

When you do something that nobody else understands, you’re on to something. Keep exploring.

Love,

Dad

Dear Max,

One of the biggest things to me in life is being authentic. Authenticity is the true, the original, the bold. 

Take guitars for example. There are a ton of brands that make a guitar to look like an original American Fender Stratocaster. But, only one brand has the right combination of wood and metal to give you that truly authentic sound. 

When it comes to people you can find similar things. Are they trying to be like some reality TV star or do they focus on the wrong things? Leave them behind. Find the people who know themselves and know where they’re going. Surround yourself with people who inspire you – ones that are authentic.

Don’t settle for people or possessions that claim to be the true article. Rise above the norm and always search for the authentic. It may take longer buts it’s always worth it. 

Love,

Daddy

Dear Max,

It’s important to support local businesses. Small business is the heart of America. The world would be no fun if it only consisted of WalMarts and McDonalds. 

Last night after Mom’s last day at GM, she took you for a walk in Downtown Plymouth. You guys bought me and Grandma some chocolate made by a local chocolatier and we had dinner at a neighborhood bar. It was great and 100% local. 

Supporting local businesses not only gives you a unique experience you get nowhere else but it also allows you to support people who live and invest in your community. It’s a win win, every time.

Love,

Dad

Dear Max,

Learn more than one way to do the same thing. It’ll change your world.

Love,

Dad

Dear Max,

In talking on a few occasions with my Grandma Iva, she recalled her dad Archibald Hunter saying, “Let sleeping dogs lie.”

He was a simple man. He didn’t coin the phrase, he just liked to use it. To him it meant not bringing up things that would cause more issues. If something bad happened, leave it in the past. Don’t continue to bring it up. Just let the issue sleep. 

This is a older idea but takes a lot of patience and understanding. To someone on the outside they simply call it ‘having class.’

Love,

Daddy

Dear Max,

Laughter is literally my favorite medicine. I’m not afraid to say “I’m addicted to laughing.” Herman Melville summed it up best by saying:

“I know not what may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go laughing.”

Love,

Dad

Dear Max,

Practice public speaking as much as you can. Don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it. Stand up and talk every chance you get. What you learn about yourself is invaluable.

Love,

Dad

Dear Max,

As I lay here in my bed late at night wondering what to say to you, I find it hard to think of exactly the right words to write. I hope one day all of this will make sense to you. I hope you’ll appreciate it. But, at this moment on a cool April night, there’s no way to know.

If I didn’t write these to you I know I would regret it. I feel like each day I get further from my father I lose a bit more of his advice. Maybe these letters are as much for me as they are for you. 

As I think back on the first 29 and a half years of my life I can honestly say the only things I regret were the few experiences I feared to take and a few memories I feared to make. 

Don’t let fear stand in your way at all. Don’t fear what people will think or what may be said. Don’t regret because it keeps you living in fear. Similarly, if you fear something and you choose to hold off, don’t regret it. Trust you made the right choice so you could learn from it. Then, move on. Fear and regret are two things that we don’t need in our lives. 

All we need is each other, and lots of laughs.

Love,

Dad

Dear Max,

Make a decision and stick to it. Hesitation is not flattering.

Love,

Dad