On March 27, 2003, Michael Collins Chaput set out from his retirement home in Sedona, AZ for a mid day hike. It was on that beautiful afternoon that he suddenly and without warning left this world, leaving behind a loving wife and five grown daughters. Months after his untimely death, a collection of letters written by him was found. The majority of the letters were sent to his mother, whom he referred to as Maude, and span the years of 1988 to 1994. These letters detail his life in a small Iowa town, working as an anesthesiologist, and raising a family together with his wife. These letters and others, including one entitled Letters of Life which he wrote as a legacy to his daughters, make up the text of this book. They were discovered and believed to be a gift for the loved ones he left behind.