A letter to my children:

Many decisions are made by all of us each day. The net sum of all those decisions determines the life that you will live and the direction, if any, that your life will take. Very small decisions made now can have huge implications for your future. But on the average, many tiny decisions taken together tend to cancel each other out with respect to good and bad, and our lives seem fairly peaceful and steady as a result.

People that adhere vigorously to certain principles tend to make more decisions that lean to one direction or another and their life seems to have a purposeful direction to it rather than take on the character of a meandering path. I want to encourage you to choose the former pattern to your decision making. Stick closely to certain rules and don't let internal debate let you escape from a true loyalty to self. Examples include a commitment to tell the truth, to be on time, or to make sacrifices for others, etc. On the whole, the number of mistakes you will make when there is a purposeful pattern to your thinking are far outweighed by the rewards and virtues of being true to yourself. Obviously, your parents strive to be shining examples of these principles and you should be able to predict how we will think and behave based on the long history of doing so in a consistent way. We're reliable.

These ideas of consistancy can be taken to an extreme, and be a cause for suffering all around from needless rigidity, however, if they over-ride common sense. I always want you to be very reluctant to let yourself off the hook, so to speak, when you have made a commitment to yourself, or to others. And when that little voice tells you that no one will know if you tell the white lie or miss the class, you need to be firm with yourself. But you also need to step back and see the whole picture sometimes, and try to make final decisions based on a broad, fair, and objective assessment of the repercussions. You sometimes need to turn back just below the summit when the situation calls for it because that kind of flexibility should also be part of an experienced life and a wise mind. Being able to forgive yourself is essential to having the noble personality that can forgive others.

Going skiing today was an important obligation that would have come with serious adverse consequences if fulfilled. You both would have been sick, cold, and lost a valuable opportunity to rest and recover today after a long and busy week. I wrestled with the notion that we should push ahead and finish this last lesson at any cost. But I'm glad we decided you should stay home.

"Its windy and upper mountain is on wind hold. Lift tickets have been reduced to $45, GO cards can be reloaded at the ticket window for the discounted rate. Forecasts are calling for winter to return today! Many of the main runs are machine groomed and the primary surface condition off piste is skier packed. 02/12/11 8:06 a.m."

Rest. and when you are awake please do fulfill your obligation to practice the piano with all the commitment that it deserves. I'll be home for dinner.

Love, Dad