Dorian is leaving his NJ family home for an upstate NY college - a moment in life both happy and sad. I wish I could redo some of my life with the lessons I'm passing on.

Hello Dorian,

All the best to you - it's an important moment in your life. From now onwards, seeing the loved ones in your family will be measured in hours, days, perhaps a week or two.
When I left my home and family in 1978, everybody had tears in their eyes - since then, and until his death, I saw my father perhaps for 25 days. How many days will I see you in my remaining life?

Let me give you one advice: Always put effort into things, that are important for your life or even define your life. Don't try to define yourself through your (girl) friends, or other people's ideas..
These unfortunately tend to come and go, and one cannot force people into something they aren't. Follow your own judgement, and not the one of others - we sense our own motivations, but cannot look into the hearts of others.


As I once wrote " Our mind is like the old rusty car in the barn. It isn't perfect, but it's the only vehicle we got." Never believe, always examine. Don't trust anything that has an emotional anchor, such as particular religious concepts.

Make the foundations of your life simple, strong, square and solid as the pavement of an old Roman road; build your life for destiny.

By doing so you'll be building the platform of your life, and the others that will come to join you later.

Stick to what is important for you, and stay on the ball. If you do so, you will persevere - life is known for never being too easy, but the good things you wish will eventually come to your life. Like one old Cuban singer said: "be patient and the flowers of life will come to you." In other words, what I'm telling you is this: Don't follow the voices that tell you "go out and grab what you want." That's the wrong path, but followed by too many.

Don't listen to people who try to sell you what you own already.

Instead you should listen to and follow what is really important for you - your studies, honesty, sports, teamwork, sincerity, nature, intellectual integrity, pure thought, patience...Don't forget your family, and visit when you can, also your brothers Roland and Carl, and your sisters Sarah and Tara. Over time you'll find out, that this can be a source of great strength for you.

I know you can do it, better than most people I have ever met.

All the best to you, and your gifted broth'

Love Daddy

(c) 2008 by Franz L Kessler