Dear Bobby,

Welcome to treasure number four! Hope the poetry lesson I gave you in the last message didn't scare you too much. If I know you, and I think I do, you probably read a lot more than just the few lines I told you to look at. Well, it may seem like a hopeless tale, but the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" actually has a few good morals to it. You'll learn more about those when you have to read it in high school. For now, I want you to think about the despair and regret that the narrator felt. We all feel that way at least once in our lives, you know. And when we do, we tend to see ourselves as being cursed.

Sometimes, in life, we feel like we are deep down in a dark place, like the dried up old well you found this message near. You need to remember that just like this well, every low point in life eventually has a bottom. And once you reach it, there's no other way to go but up. Bobby, I'm starting to feel like I'm falling down in a well right now. I'm having a hard time just getting through the day. But, honestly, I'm not worried. I can still see the sunlight at the top, and I'm reaching for it. I know everything is going to turn out right, in the end. I want you to believe that, too.

I'm not trying to talk about despair to make you sad. I want you to use that hope and faith I already talked about to help you find the top of your own personal wells. Use them to climb to the light. And, I'm not trying to scare you, either. I just want you to know the truth about what's out there. Dark times will come into your life. Don't run from them or pretend they don't exist. Don't give up and think it's never going to get any better. Just brace yourself for the impact at the bottom, and get ready to rise above.

As for the topic of regret, I certainly know a thing or two about that. I've learned to avoid creating too much of it since I came to Sleepyside, but there are many things I did when I lived in New York that I wish I could take back. One that really haunts me is something I know will make you change your opinion of me. I think I should tell you about it.

Bobby, I'm not the perfect hero you think I am. Once, I hurt a kid pretty badly in a street fight, and I'm not talking about a few bruises, either. He came at me with a knife, and I cut him before he could cut me. I'll never forget that disgusting feeling of the knife blade hitting his rib as I stabbed him. It was a miracle none of his internal organs were punctured. I secretly checked on him several times when he was at the hospital, and I know he turned out okay, but I never got over the thought that I could have killed someone. And in anger, too. I had wanted to hurt him. I let the darkness of the moment overtake me, and someone almost paid the ultimate price for it. The things we do when we are angry or scared can be the best or worst decision of our lives. Be careful. Always consider what you might regret before you act in anger or fear.

And don't be afraid of death, either. Death's just another part of life. It's not something you should go to grudgingly if you've been mature and lived a life with few regrets. I don't regret having to die; just knowing that some people I love will be hurt by it.

There's a great poem about death I want you to read. You can find it in the American Romantic Poetry book on the bottom most left shelf of the Manor House library. It's called "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant. Ask Honey about it. She did an entire report about it once for her English class, and I know she can explain it in a way that will make sense to you. She has a special gift like that. I hope you won't be afraid to go to her whenever you have a question about something you've read.

Bobby, there's also another important story I want you to look at. It's in the Bible. The chapter and verse reference is on the back of this message (and yep, it's going to help you find the next coordinates). You know, even though Jesus didn't have regrets (because he never sinned), he did suffer despair. At one of the lowest moments in His life (praying in the Garden at Gethsemane), He even asked His father, God, if He would consider a change of plans; He was nervous about what He knew was going to happen to Him on the cross. If the most perfect person who ever lived had to deal with moments of despair, then we shouldn't give up when we hit bottom, either. We just have to do what He did and trust that God's way is best.

Well, I'm sorry if you're disappointed that I didn't leave you anything in this box, but I did that on purpose. I would never want to leave you with all the regrets and hurts that I have had to carry around with me. Passing those life lessons on would not be fair to you. I had to learn them the hard way, but maybe you can skip the rough road and learn from my mistakes. Remember to check yourself when you're about to act on emotion, and never let the sun go down on an argument that hurts someone you love. (Saying "I love you" or "I'm sorry" are things you won't ever regret)

So, now it's time for you to get started on the next hunt. Use the verse numbers like a showed you, and don't let deep, dark places slow you down. Here's a clue to help you out: you reap what you sow.

By the way, I don't remember telling you often enough how special you are to me, and that is something I definitely regret.

I love ya, kid,

Dan