Dear Kristina
I had talked with Tom and he asked if I had gotten a letter or package. I wasn't sure so I went to mailbox and it was packed with a package that was stuffed in. After wrenching it from the mailbox, I was stunned to find it was from Atkin S.C. and from You.
I haven't heard from you in years. The last time I spoke with you, you said I should rewrite my letter of apology to your mom. I didn't think then, and I don't think now, that it was your business. Besides, my apology could not be changed. I gave it my best. You may not agree, but it's not your business.
I really didn't expect to hear from you again. I know that I will not hear from Bob again so I just accepted it and was trying to concentrate on my friends and Val and Tom 'who is proud to call me Dad'. Holly cares about me, Lisa and boyfriend stopped at X-mas and of course I was invited to X-mas dinner by Sue. ALL true friends and family.
I do want to thank you for persuading Bob to allow me to visit at his home. I know that he didn't want me to stay there, but He relented.
So, I opened your gift, a beautiful Gamecocks sweatshirt, I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry so I put it on and started crying. I put on 'Sugarman' an album I've grown fond of. I cried for three days and never took off my Sugarman Sweatshirt. They are the only things I know about you. I actually wore it for 3 weeks. I was run over by my emotions, I still can't figure out why? I last knew you 65 years ago, so who cares?
Dads don't have emotions! ... it's not allowed.
I'm the Luckeyist man alive. The good Lord found it fit to give what I needed to survive ... Rocky, my faithful companion. He's amazing, I take him everywhere and he's universally loved by everyone, from nurses to tellers to bosses and customers, Rocky has me talking and meeting people every day. People want to take pictures and always say "nice looking". Rocky has given me the greatest gift besides loving me. He gets me talking with complete strangers, every single time we go out. makes my life rich and worthwhile. And because I believe dogs need to be socialized, I let people pet him. Kids afraid of dogs love meeting him. People from other nations are also afraid, but they quickly learn he's OK. At first Rocky didn't recognize people in wheelchairs as human, but now he seeks them out, often times lifting their arm and sliding his head into their lap. The reaction: total surprise, amused look and of course petting.
You have done it yourself, your doing it now ... meeting new people everyday, kinda fun, kinda sad leaving people and making new friends ... it's life.
I was also surprised by the Magazine with you featured on the front page. I made the front page as "Rookie of the year 1970" in a Wrestling magazine.
But, what got me is You paddling a canoe in a S. Carolina swamp. I love swamps, they are endlessly fasinating and the headwaters for many rivers and streams. Many years ago I hired your mom to be my assistant, as we surveyed Minnesota rivers for state recognition for river-trail system. If you look in your moms photo albums, you will see your mom canoeing on the Bigfork or St Louis river in northern Minnesota. Looks just like you.
I want to say one last thing. When I was 12 or so my cousin Norm went on vacation in N. Minnesota. So I wrote him a letter. Norm 13 yrs old, returned my letter along with his letter. My letter he had red-lined every mispelt wierd. I went into shock, my favorite cousin correcting me. I never wrote him again, he was removed from my friends list and never invited to my home again. I should have forgiven him, but, I didn't know the power of forgiveness, I do now.
I hope you will forgive this letter. I mean no harm.
I love your gifts
Dad
ps. We need you in the N. West. they are studying whales by using drones to gather spittle for DNA analysis. They have discovered that older female Blackfish work directly with female offspring to improve survival of calves ... pretty cool
For myself, I've written a short piece about an open arctic ocean with Ice a mile deep in Chicago. Could I be right? I'm curious about how to prove or disprove my thesis. Would it be possible to figure it out using DNA from Wooly Mamouths. Did the freeze that killed them come from the south or the north, were they trapped?
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