This is the three page letter I received today from my father. In 2004 just before the general election, he sent a letter to us four kids sharing with us his disgust at the Swiftboating of Senator John Kerry. Like him, my father was in Vietnam. He was revolted by the way friends of the Bush Administration had tried to politically destroy this man who wanted to serve our country again from the highest office.

My sister, like me, is a Democrat; she's also an attorney and mom to two kids. My two brothers are Republicans, married and fathers each. So, I think that the letter was a way for Dad to reach out to all of us and delineate once more, beyond the time for him to parent us, who he is, what he believes and why he feels that way as a reminder of our family story.

At any rate, this year's election letter below is no different. It's also addressed to the grandchildren, two of whom are old enough to begin to digest and understand the sentiments. It is a reminder of the power of our personal histories and backgrounds. Since my paternal grandfather died before any of us kids were born, it is a missing portrait of an unknown ancestor. This letter is a beautiful legacy of a 68 year old man to his progeny.