Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose

by Joe Biden

And if the problem is fear, the answer is knowledge. Each side has to be willing to try to understand the concerns of the other.

also know from experience that the time will come, the time will come, when Rafael’s memory will bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eyes. That’s when you know—it’s going to be okay. I know it’s hard to believe it will happen, but I promise you, I promise you it will happen. And my prayer for you is that it will come sooner rather than later.”

We all spend so much time on the move, racing to keep up with the imperatives of modern life and personal ambition. So I try to be mindful, at all times, of what a difference a small human gesture can make to people in need. What does it really cost to take a moment to look someone in the eye, to give him a hug, to let her know, I get it. You’re not alone?

There will come a time when you’ll go riding by a field that you both loved, or see a flower, or smell the fragrance of his suit when he took it off and hung it in the closet, or you’ll hear a song, or you’ll look at the way someone walks, and it will all come back. But someday down the line, God knows when, you’ll realize it doesn’t make you want to cry. It makes you smile.