Summer 1998

A message to my 15 year-old son:

The moment you were born, your dad grinned wider than I’ve ever seen. Then he said,”This is the best day of my life.”

And he meant it.

While my mind was spinning with worry, and I wasn’t even sure if I was even cut out to be a mother, your dad knew he had arrived at the place he was always meant to be – fatherhood.

Since then, he’s never left that place. Not even once. And that hasn’t always been an easy thing to do.

Not all men have the fortitude to be a father, and, and as you should well know, it is often a thankless job. It’s even harder when you grow up without much of a role model.

But your father has something a lot of men don’t – the ability to put his ego aside and focus on what he believes is most important – always being available for you and your sister.

From the moment you were born, you have been his priority. He’s never stopped believing in you or being your number one champion. Ever.

At those times when I’ve cried over your behavior or questioned what I did wrong, your dad always spoke up for you. And he was always the voice of reason.

On those days when I worried that you weren’t like other boys – that you weren’t particularly interested in playing sports or being overly social – he always praised you for being comfortable in your own skin and being true to yourself. And he was always right.

Summer 2013

And all those times when you were being the total and complete goof you are, he was proud of you and never hid his face in embarrassment.

Well, almost never.

I know we often joke about your blood line and about your genealogy, but, in all honesty, you should be proud of being your father’s son.

You may not have his brown eyes or his poker straight hair, but you have something much more important.

You have pieces of his heart and pieces of his soul.

Treasure them and make good use of them. Your dad sacrificed a great deal so you could have them.