To our absent grandchildren

May 24, 2015

Dear Sawyer, Cypress, Ellington, and Keats:

This is your grandfather Hess, your father’s father. I want to write you a letter in case I do not live to see you again in this life. In spite of being diagnosed with colon cancer in 2007, I am currently cancer free, fifty-nine years young, and hope to live a very long life; however, life has a way of throwing unexpected surprises our way. Therefore I want each of you to know that your grandmother Hess and I love and miss each of you very much. We were grateful to have seen Sawyer several times up until he was a toddler. Sadly, we have never seen Cypress, Ellington or Keats.

We do not know why your father has chosen to break off all contact with his parents and all four of his siblings: your Aunt Katie Hodges, Uncle Clayton Hess, Uncle Jayson Hess, and Uncle Zachary Hess.  You have more than a dozen Hess family cousins who would like to get to know you. We have tried repeatedly to make contact with your family and to see you, but our efforts have been ignored or rebuffed. We’ve left Christmas and birthdays gifts on your porch and are uncertain whether you ever received them.We know you have moved, but do not wish to risk further alienation by again attempting contact with your parents.

We hope that at some time in the future when you are old enough to act for yourself that each of you will develop a desire to learn about the other half of your extended family and contact us. We anxiously, but patiently await that day when we can begin to develop a relationship with each of you, our beloved grandchildren.

Your loving paternal grandfather,

Cameron Hess
CameronHess@gmail.com