The tree house means a lot to me because I made a promise. When he was 4 years old, Jack asked me, "Daddy, will you build me a tree house?" I told him I would, and then picked a time far enough in the future that I hoped would give me the time to learn how to do it. I told him I would build it when he was 8. I didn't learn before he was 8, but I was dramatically lucky to have met John Carberry.
With John's help (OK, I help him a little while he does all the real work and planning) Jack will get his tree house, hopefully close to or soon after his ninth birthday.
When it is done, I will explain to Jack that I did it because I made a promise, that it is important in life to keep one's word, and as he gets older that I would hope he would be the kind of person who could be trusted to keep his word.
