My father died of hairy cell leukemia in 1980, when I was only 4. Before he passed away, he wrote me letters for every major milestone in my life. So, when I received my high school diploma in 1995, graduated from college in 2000, earned my master’s degree in 2007, got engaged in Feb. 2010, and got married in July 2011, it felt like a part of him was still with me. 

That was a really wonderful legacy, and I’m so glad my father...