One of the most depressing autobiographies you could ever read. The story of a very, very poor Irish boy surviving hunger, the death of several siblings and an alcoholic father who squanders his meager wages on beer rather than feeding his starving children. The kind of book that makes you feel grateful for your life and the luxury of a bowl of oatmeal. He survives near death illnesses. It is a brutally honest recounting of a desperately poor childhood. But the writing is not bitter or resentful. It is about learning to survive and finding what joy you can whenever you can. It is truly an inspiring book because it make you really appreciate what you had growing up.

The Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi

A book with a very clever and revealing title. In my reading of the book, the title refers to the fact that his autobiography is going to experiment with telling you some truths and not all the truths. Gandhi experiments with telling readers the ‘true’ story of his life. The title is a frank admission that not all things can or should be told. A lesson that you as the writer of your letter have the power to be selective.

Gandhi makes it easier to read his biography by breaking his nearly 500 page book into five parts with a total of 167 chapters. It is easier to get through chapters that are only four to five pages long. This is a good technique to make both the writing and the reading easier. 

I really like Hal Urban books. I think they should be in almost everyone’s home. Yes, they are that good. They are fundamental. They help people.

One of his best books is entitled “Life’s Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter.” It is a collection of very short, but very helpful essays on 20 valuable life lessons that everyone should know and apply in their lives.

He starts the book with a page entitled “If Someone Gave You This Book.” Below is what he writes on this opening page. It nearly perfectly states exactly what I think a “Letter to Your Grandchildren” is intended to do.

“The person who gave you this book cares about you and wants the best for you. That’s what friends and family members do. We want to pass on the great lessons that life has taught us.” He goes on to say, “It’s given to you as a gift along with the hope and prayer that it will help you think about and better understand the real meaning of success. Please accept it in that spirit, and pass it on to others.”

He ends the page with the following quote from Martin Tipper.

“A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.”

I agree. A loving and helpful grandparent is a great friend. They can help you today and help the people they love forever.

Write your letter.