A letter to my dad, written October 2000

Dear Dad,

I have always considered myself blessed to have such an incredible dad. You have always been such a great support to me, always encouraging me to succeed and try new things. I know that I am who I am, in large part, because of you.

You introduced me to the world. During my formative years you took us on vacations that helped us expand our knowledge and experiences. Even though we only were able to see you a couple times a week, you were always taking us to the library, the botanical gardens, or museums. I think these times helped me to become more literate, informed and well rounded. It was critical to my development to have so many positive interactions with the outside world and I know that it was you who made this possible.

You helped me learn confidence. I can remember a dozen or so one-on-one conversations with you that really helped me learn to appreciate who I am and where I came from. Let’s face it, when you’re a Kennedy, privacy and individual time is hard to find and is thus treasured when available. However, these individual times were totally important to me and I was always grateful for those times when we could talk together. It helped me get through tough times, like leaving for college and my mission. I hope we can still have many more of these talks in the years to come.

You helped me see the importance of working hard but also the necessity of having fun. I vividly remember watching you learn new sports and activities that reinforced the importance of doing things that you like to do. It helped me forge my own interests and abilities watching my dad do so many cool things. That was very important to me and I think has helped me find happiness.

You helped me see the importance of family. Your attention and dedication to us was always evident and generous. I know there were times that the job market was tight and you were offered positions out of the area that you promptly turned down because it would take you away from us. That means a lot to me and helps me to see how important we are to you.

I guess it’s impossible to truly understand the effect you’ve had on my life. There’s no gauge or tool to measure love, but I know that you love me and I hope you know I love you. I get sad when I think that we’ll probably never live together or spend time together like we once did. However, the memories that I have remind me of a sweet childhood and youth. I am grateful for that. Thank you for being a great dad. You are a stellar person and father and I hope that makes you as happy as it makes me.