Dear Sam,

    I realize you can’t read yet, and that you don't know who I am, and that, even if you were to eventually discover who I am, I wouldn't be at the top of your potential correspondent's list. But I felt compelled to write because I saw your photo in the papers and you looked so adorable. (I couldn't help but notice that you were swaddled in the very same pale blue hospital blanket that my own daughter, Josephine, wore in her first days!)
    Of course, I need to say a few words about the man we have in common, your grandfather. Specifically, I want to apologize for all the mean things I've said about him over the years. I'm serious about this. Your grandfather has done quite a lot that people like myself feel has harmed the republic into which you were born. History will judge him, of course. And though I suspect that you will be kept far from the worst of his critics -- within the familial bubble that protects all of us, to some extent, from the deeds of our elders -- it is inevitable that you will hear some angry words from the people around you as you grow older. You did not choose to have a controversial grandfather, but it is your lot.
    I will not urge you to ignore these comments, or the articles and books sure to amass. You should seek to discover, from sources other than your own family, where and who you came from. At the same time, it is important to remember that your grandfather has two selves: a public and private self. And whatever he might have done in his public role, as a private citizen, as a grandfather, he loves you very much and that is all that matters.
    It may be best to look to the New Testament in thinking about all this. That book is (depending on your perspective) the recorded history of the savior of mankind, or a sad fable full of sweet, hopeful lies, the best of which is surely this: They knew not what they did. That's the tack I would pursue if you find yourself coming up hard against your grandfather's legacy.
    As for your parents, the less said about them the better. Again, I don't mean to cause offense. I mean only that their sole duty as parents is to fill you with the sort of unreasonable love that makes forgiveness possible. It can't possible matter -- in the face of this awesome and holy office -- what they look like, or how they provide for you, or for whom they vote. And least of all whether they urinate standing up or sitting down.
    I'll be interested to hear what life has in store for you, Sam. I wish you every bit of luck as the adventure begins.
    Yours in admiration and hope,
    BabyDaddy