A dying dad wrote heartfelt letters to his young son for each stage of his life he would live without him.
Writer Rafael Zoehler revealed how his "firm but fun" dad died of cancer at the age of 27 – leaving him with advice on everything from how to deal with teenage angst, to losing his virginity and eventually growing old.
Rafael, who now lives in Sao Paulo, said: "My father followed me through my entire life.
"He was with me, even though he was not near me. His words did what no one else could: they gave me strength to overcome countless challenging moments in my life."
Describing the moment his father died in hospital, Rafael, just eight at the time, said he felt "angry" and "betrayed" by his father, before a nurse arrived at his bedside with a shoebox full of envelopes, reports Nextshark .
He said: "The box was full of sealed envelopes, with sentences where the addresses should be. I couldn’t understand exactly what was going on. The nurse then handed me a letter.
"’Your dad asked me to give you this. He spent the whole week writing these, and he wants you read it. Be strong’.” the nurse said, holding me.
Rafael’s heartfelt letters from his dad
The first letter, titled ‘WHEN I’M GONE’, helped deal with Rafael’s immediate loss.
It read: "I didn’t want to tell you what was going to happen, I didn’t want to see you crying.
"Well, as you can see, I still have a lot to teach you. After all, you don’t know crap about anything. So I wrote these letters for you. You must not open them before the right moment, OK? This is our deal.
"I love you. Take care of your mom. You’re the man of the house now. Love, dad.
"PS: I didn’t write letters to your mom. She’s got my car."
In a second letter, which Rafael was instructed to open during his ‘angry’ teenage years, his father predicted he would be rowing with his mum – and possibly her new boyfriend.
Rafael said: "I remembered a specific letter, which read ‘WHEN YOU HAVE THE WORST FIGHT EVER WITH YOUR MOM’."
"The letter read: "I don’t know why you’re fighting and I don’t know who’s right. But I know your mother. So a humble apology is the best way to get over this. I’m talking about a down-on-your-knees apology.
"She’s your mother, kid. She loves you more than anything in this world. Do you know that she went through natural birth because someone told her that it would be the best for you? Have you ever seen a woman giving birth? Do you need a bigger proof of love than that?
"Apologise. She’ll forgive you. Love, dad."
As Rafael grew up, the letters became more comical – with one even titled – ‘WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY’.
The letter congratulated Rafael on having sex for the first time, reading: "Congratulations, son.
Don’t worry, it gets better with time. It always sucks the first time. Mine happened with an ugly woman…who was also a prostitute. Love, dad."
In another touching letter titled, WHEN YOU BECOME A FATHER’ – Rafael explains how his father told him to ‘be around to change diapers, bathe the baby and be a role model to his child’.
The letter continues: "Have fun. It’s a great thing. Time is gonna fly now, so make sure you’ll be around. Never miss a moment, they never come back.
"I think you have what it takes to be an amazing father, just like me."
In a final letter to be opened when Rafael was an old man, and close to death himself, his father told him "you don’t have to be afraid".
It read: "Hello, son. I hope you’re an old man now.
"You know, this letter was the easiest to write, and the first I wrote. It was the letter that set me free from the pain of losing you. I think your mind becomes clearer when you’re this close to the end. It’s easier to talk about it.
"In my last days here I thought about the life I had. I had a brief life, but a very happy one. I was your father and the husband of your mother. What else could I ask for? It gave me peace of mind. Now you do the same.
"My advice for you: you don’t have to be afraid
"PS: I miss you"
Read More
Top news stories from Mirror Online
-
Meghan’s embarrassing fashion fail
-
Student begged gang rapists free her
-
Mum tells MPs Universal Credit horror
-
Dad hits teacher 22 times in 15 seconds
Source: Read Full Article