A Touching Letter From Steve Irwin To His Parents

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Last year, while preparing his memoir, Bob Irwin, Australian naturalist and father of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, found a letter from his son after it fell out of a book. Written in 1994, the letter is a poignant message to his parents telling them how, at the age of 32, he’s finally learned how to truly be happy. On the envelope, Steve Irwin wrote: “Please be happy to know that your strength and wisdom have been passed on.”

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The letter reads:

Dear Dad & Mum,

Probably one of the most unfortunate things in a ‘Bloke’s Life’ is that it takes over 30 years to realise how essential you have been to build my character, my ethics and, most importantly, my HAPPINESS.

At 32, I am finally starting to figure it out. In good times and in bad, you were there. Your strength and endurance to raise me will not go unrewarded. My love for you is my strength!

For the rest of my life I will reflect on the unbelievably GREAT times we’ve shared and will continue to share. You’re my best friends!

Thank you, Steve.

It’s been over ten years since Irwin’s untimely death, and the letter is a reminder of his contagious passion for life and nature. “Working on this book, I have been constantly reminded of Steve’s boundless energy, infectious humour and unrestrained passion for wildlife in our far too short a time together,” Bob Irwin told News.com. “But he is still here, still with me and I am able to gain strength from him. What he stood for and what he was able to achieve means just as much now as when he was here in the physical world.”