postscript

Both stories of my life here detail the experiences that have led to my understanding of children, love, death, culture, language, drugs, religion, and business, and tell of how this understanding has been tested.

Let me offer just one piece of advice, that I know, that I know is true:

Listen to your children. Do not obey them, but listen, attentively. Strain every fibre to reach your deepest, oldest memories, no matter how faint, of those times when you were standing small. Try never to miss an opportunity to hear. Never stint on praise and most of all strive never to be dishonest, in even the smallest thing. Truth is the horizon to look forward to, not a destination. By listening with all your heart you will give your children the strength and resources to seek out answers that perhaps you find yourself looking for now. And by doing so you too may find answers of your own.