Twenty-six of the greatest lessons I was ever taught.

This is the foreward from The ABCs of Dan M. Wilson.

On June 27th, 2004 I said goodbye to the most incredible man I’ve ever known in my life – my father. All I could think about that afternoon was how much I would miss him. After the initial shock began to wane I realized how much everyone else would miss him as well. I had known the man for more than 33 years when he took his final breath. My brothers and sisters had been a part of his life for the better part of four decades. Mom had not only lost her husband but her best friend of 50+ years. It was easily the saddest day in the Wilson family’s history.

As I drove Mom home from the hospital later that day she gave me Dad’s wedding ring. It was touching to know that I would have a lasting physical reminder of him to carry with me every single day of my life. I also hold all of the wonderful memories I shared with the man. Most importantly I have an abundance of life lessons he’d taught me as only a father can hand down to a son.

A dear friend of mine sent me a condolence card later that week. The opening line she had written was “Just a note to remind you that there is no better reflection of a man than his son.” Those words really had an impact on me and I think of them often. They indirectly led me to write the book you are currently holding.

Alex, this book has been written solely for you.

Now that you are graduating high school and are embarking on your college career, you are also entering into the last true formative years of your life. What you do over the next several years will refine who you are and define who you will become. You will be learning more than you ever have in a whirlwind of classes, lectures, conversations, and books. I wanted to give you just one more book to study…a book unlike any that you will ever find in any bookstore.

It contains twenty-six of the most important life lessons that my father handed down to me throughout my life.

As you know, Grandpa Dan was an amazing man. He possessed an inviting charm that touched the lives of literally thousands of people. People knew that they could rely on him in any given situation. He had a sense of humor that was equal parts razor sharp and corn ball. His character was second to none.

The advice he passed onto his offspring is what has made each of his four children so unique. Some of it was pure genius, others just practical information…all of it was handed down out of love. And now I am giving it to you in written form.

This book will teach you how to do your taxes, remind you of the importance of a good night’s sleep, and even give you insight on how to woo a woman the Dan M. Wilson way. If every man could find their own Grandma Pat the world would be a better place…just ask her.

As the years go by I hope that you consult this book often. It contains lessons that you can use today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life. And while I wish that it could
have been written solely by the man himself, I have a feeling that if Heaven exists that he certainly sat over my shoulder while I wrote every single word.

Grandpa Dan was so very proud of you. If things were different, he would be here right now to congratulate you on completing high school. Who knows, he might have even given you “a big dollar.”

People come and people go. You will encounter hundreds upon hundreds of different characters throughout your life. Some may touch your heart or inspire you in a way that you actually learn something lasting from them. My father was the second greatest teacher I’ve ever had…I hope that his wisdom will do for you what it has done for me.

Congratulations, son. Go get ‘em.