Dear Will,
One of my fondest memories of Grandpa Hoffer has nothing to do with Hoffer Plastics. Instead, it has to do with playing nine holes of golf with him regularly when he was in his early 80s.
The deal was that we would play with his good friend, Al, and the three of us would typically play nine holes before having lunch and talking about golf. I always left those days with a little bit of Grandpa’s wisdom about golf and life. Playing a round of golf with Al, a Masters Tournament season ticket holder for decades, would be like getting a lesson in golf history. If only I could play nine more holes with those two!
Similarly, I have enjoyed watching you play golf with your grandpa. You have the fortune of playing with him while he can still play well, despite what he tells you when the two of you are on the course. My advice is to suck up every lesson and enjoy it. I also advise you to soak up the time with your Papa when he is in town or you are in Dayton. You are blessed to have both of your grandpas and your two grandmothers in your life.
I point this out as you celebrate birthday number 14, because you are now bearing witness to the speed — and, quite frankly, brevity — of life. To quote the philosopher Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Therefore, I advise you to rip up your to-do list every once in a while and go to that 1:20 p.m. start at Clark and Addison.
I entirely understand and appreciate your discipline and attention to your plan. Having said that, hear this warning from an uptight 43-year-old: you need to be flexible. Not every day is going to go the way you planned, and leaving room for some spontaneity keeps life fresh and fun. One of my all-time favorite Cubs games came about when a friend called me at 1 p.m. on a Sunday in 2005, interrupting my graduate studies. By 1:20 p.m. I was sitting 24 rows back in the shallow left outfield. I had time to study later — and I did — but I would not have had another time with those guys at that game.
Similarly, this advice will serve you well as you start to play more competitive golf. Another famous quote, this time by Mike Tyson, also applies to golf: “Everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face.” Playing competitive golf is a lot like signing up for getting punched in the face. Golf, after all, is a game of recovery. The best can take the body blows to their plan, recover, and stick with it despite the challenges. Golf prepares you well for life because it teaches you to confront obstacles, embrace challenges, and keep going despite setbacks. 99.99% of golf rounds are that.
To be sure, you have an incredible amount of talent for golf. Your potential is vast. I will be cheering you on along the way, even when you begin to regularly beat me. And to be certain, that day is coming quickly.
Having said that, let’s get a few things straight once again.
I will not love you more if you make the PGA tour.
I will not love you less if you quit golf today.
I am not banking on you getting a golf scholarship; there is no pressure to play golf in college.
I care most about the kind of person you are, your work ethic, and whether you stick to your commitments to others.
I pray most for you to know Jesus, follow Him, and live a life that glorifies Him.
The lesson I have learned most in leadership (and parenting) is how much I need to repeat messages like this. So, forgive me as you will continue to hear this a lot.
You will also hear this: I love you. I cannot imagine life without you. I am extremely proud of you, and that has nothing to do with anything you do.
This next year, I invite you to be an encourager of your brother Ben and sister Sadie. Imagine a few years down the road when they are telling people how much encouragement they receive from their older brother Will. Isn’t that the kind of man you want to be?
Your mother and I are incredibly proud of you and love you more than we can share here.
Love,
Dad