Hey Gramps. Long time so see. It has been almost exactly 19 years since you have transcended this physical existence; since you died.

Though by now I cannot even recall the sound of your voice, you are on mind quite often. Almost every day something reminds me that you are not around. I can only imagine how much fun you would be having with the phones, iPods, and digital cameras. Can you imagine: all the music that you could ever want right at your fingertips or taking a photo and looking at the result immediately? It is like having a personal music collection and photography studio with you at all times!

I wish do you could be around. I certainly would benefit from your guidance, and your wisdom, and your serenity these days. Although it is true you have always maintained that “like cures like” but it has not been working for me well.

You were an unusual man. Not in the weird of-the-wall way kind of way, not at all. You were, however, unequivocally different in the way of naturally relating to the world and the people around. You have never had any enemies. No one has ever wished you ill in any sort of personal way. But the strangest thing about you would have to be an earnest, perhaps even to the point of being naive, sense of empathy. I wonder if I could have been a better, happier person had I possessed these qualities. Would I have been better at dealing with the world? Would I have been happy? Would my girlfriend still have broken up with me?

I have had to make peace with a lot of things in my life. I just wish you not being here hadn’t been one of them.