It wasn’t until years after he had passed away that we discovered a riddle that my father had left behind for us. Down in the basement, hidden away in a long forgotten storage box, buried beneath mounds of crinkled, otherwise unimportant scraps of paper were six crisp white envelopes – addressed in the “all-caps” handwriting that we instinctively recognized as my father’s.
I found the letter addressed to “JESSICA” and began to open it gently, hoping to preserve its textured edges- an anachronism of a better time. The envelope was sealed ever so slightly and easily opened when I grabbed at its corners – as if it had been waiting for me for quite some time.
Inside that envelope, was a note decorated in the same iconic handwriting that had stamped its outside.
Inside that note, was the best advice I had ever received.
The note contained typical fatherly advice (Do The Right Thing, Dream a Great Dream, etc.) but the last line stuck with me the most.
“Be A Lamplighter”
This final instruction from my father was easily the most cryptic, and arguably the most powerful.
In earlier times, a “LampLighter” referred to a person who would make the rounds at night, usually in solitude, lighting all of the oil lamps that lined the streets and alleys to brighten the path for those who may wander- and to illuminate the town as a beacon for those returning home in the dark. LampLighters were the first to venture into the darkness: the first to encounter danger & uncertainty. The role of the LampLighter was most closely aligned with that of a town “Watchman”.
It took me a long time to decipher his message – the final lesson that my father left behind.
He meant “Be Brave” .
He meant “Protect”.
He meant “Go First”.
He meant “Lead by Example”.
He meant “Always Help Those Who are Lost”.
He meant “Live for Something Greater Than Yourself”.
He meant “No Matter What Path You Take, Light The Way”
He meant “Be A LampLighter”.
I recently came across a company @OurBoardBoutique who does custom engraving on wood items (cutting boards, business card holders, anything you can imagine) and choosing a design was easy for me. They were able to skillfully replicate my father’s exact handwriting on the cutting board that I designed – and to me that means everything. If you have any ideas for custom engraving that you’d like to have done, please visit their Etsy site at:
Yuppie Eating 