When my oldest son was about 2 years old, I wrote a letter to him explaining 
what I did for a living. I was a pastor of a church. In that letter, I explained how my job came about. It wasn't a role I chose. It was a calling I responded to. I explained to Jonny that he didn't need to follow in my footsteps. As a matter of fact, I encouraged him not to follow in my footsteps unless he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God had called him to do so. A ministry role isn't a job, it's a calling. That was 24 years ago.
Now, I've felt a compulsion to write new letters to my sons and a few close family members. Why? Letters are so last century. Exactly. A hand written letter tells you that someone thought enough of you to take the time to write to you. A handwritten letter offers up a piece of the writer that an email or a text cannot convey. It's a piece of you that the recipient can hold in his/her hand for a lifetime.
I'm realizing at the twilight of my life that I need to convey my thoughts to those I love and appreciate. Just like when my son was in the beginning of his life, today, I need to let him know what I think at this stage of his life. After losing my dad and my step-dad, I realized that all I have are memories that will fade over time, but a letter will last forever. I challenge you to take up a pen and write a letter to someone you love.
I plan to write letters to my sons that they will be opened after I pass. I want them to know how incredibly proud I have been of them. They have both turned into wonderfully honorable men with great integrity. Of course I praise them today, but a letter will leave that lasting impact once my words have long become silent.
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