Dear Sam,
How do I begin a letter of this magnitude?
Thank you for procreating with me….no that’s not right.
Thank you for picking me, for noticing me at that party, not caring that my legs were all banged up from a mountain bike accident, finding me on MySpace, asking me out, putting a ring on it, committing to change with me, having two wonderful crazy boys and choosing to love me daily. I’m going to follow Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s example and just list some of the ways you are a good good father.
- You still look at me with heart eyes and kiss me in front of our children.
- You are teaching our boys how to cook.
- You transfer Waylon to his bed every night after he falls asleep in our bed and whisper “I love you” into his ear as you carry him to his room… not sure if you knew I noticed but it melts me.
- You road the waves of having a colicky baby with me and we figured out in a fog of torture together how to soothe our fussy Waylon for 5 months.
- You pack the car with our beach gear every Saturday and stop for donuts.
- You take my parenting advice and also tell me when to be quiet and let you be a dad. Boom, I get it and I need that from time to time.
- You love your mother and mine too…that says a lot about your character.
- You built us a house and also the 1,000 piece Lego sets so I don’t have to.
- You sleep trained Zeke and let me go away on a girls’ trip…this alone will help you find another wife if I die and untimely death.
- Your children know they are loved because you’re not afraid to tell them and show this with multiple hugs and kisses.
Sam you are all the things I am not; we balance each other out like sea salt on chocolate. I wouldn’t want any other partner in this task of raising good humans. Parenthood is the most challenging thing we’ve ever committed to and I know we both agree we’ve never been more tired and more loved.
Happy Father’s Day to the hardest working man I know.
Please check out the other writers in this series:
