Dear William,

Dear Opa, Happy Birthday!!! This message is a long time in coming, variations of which have been written and discarded many times over many years, but now as then proves necessary in order to communicate a message of heart felt love and appreciation.  I suppose until recently I always thought them a bit presumptive, better saved for another day or moment but with my inability to be near to say them to both you and Oma personally the time for words yet unspoken has arrived. As I write this I can't help but list the names too numerous to put down here of others who might also have purpose to write this message and do so for them as well.  For your brother John, taking his son as your own and providing an opportunity to move to America for a life filled with more opportunities for his family than he could have ever grown up believing.  For my mom and dad, Jackie, myself and even Eric, though in typical, stubborn Van Namen fashion he's not likely to admit. ...