Kindness is important, for example; it just works better than meanness. Can you remember hearing dad make a nasty comment about anyone, ever? Neither can I. He is kind to everyone--including people, birds, squirrels, feral cats, and even the frogs who moved into his back yard pond.
Animals need us, and we need them. Our whole life growing up, we had pets. Boo Boo and her yearly litter of kittens, Sylvester, Mittens, Sam, and Bingo were a big part of our lives and they depended on us. I loved our pets, and I can't even imagine a life without animals.
Spend time together as a family. Growing up, we spent holidays together, took trips as a family, went sledding, ice skating and swimming together, and had dinner together almost every night. I learned that it's important to have fun, laugh and spend as much time as you can with your family.
Kids need independence, and your trust. When we were teenagers we were encouraged to be independent; we had a lot of freedom. We always had a car, for example, beginning with the gigantic Plymouth Hy-Drive. We drove all over the place.
It's important to work hard. You can accomplish a lot if you have a good work ethic. I can't remember dad lounging around the house much, but I can sure remember him doing projects and staying busy, always. 
Love your kids like crazy. I think this is the most important thing of all, because you can get through a lot of difficult times when you know somebody really, really loves you. We always knew dad loved us, sacrificed a lot for us, and wanted us to be happy.
Happy new year and happy 80th birthday! We are very fortunate to have you in our lives. Through your example we all have learned a great deal about how to live a worthwhile life.
Bob Koerner, our heroWe love you very much
