dear seth,

　　you’re only three years old, and at this point in your life you can`t read, much less understand what i’m going to try to tell you in this letter. but i`ve been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you, about my life so far as i reflect on what i`ve learned, and about my role as a dad in trying to prepare you for the trials that you will face in the coming years.

　　you won`t be able to understand this letter today, but someday, when you`re ready, i hope you will find some wisdom and value in what i share with you.

　　you are young, and life has yet to take its toll on you, to throw disappointments and heartaches and loneliness and struggles and pain into your path. you have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work, by the slings and arrows of everyday life.

　　for this, be thankful. you are at a wonderful stage of life. you have many wonderful stages of life still to come, but they are not without their costs and perils.

　　i hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what i`ve learned. as with any advice, take it with a grain of salt. what works for me might not work for you.

　　life can be cruel

　　there will be people in your life who won`t be very nice. they`ll tease you because you`re different, or for no good reason. they might try to bully you or hurt you.

　　there`s not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them, and learn to choose friends who are kind to you, who actually care about you, who make you feel good about yourself. when you find friends like this, hold on to them, treasure them, spend time with them, be kind to them, love them.