Dear Elliott:
You declared for months, after our oldest Ryan was born, that you are a Dad, someone’s Dad! You came to parenting reluctantly, as you do so much in life. For my whole pregnancy, you would say over and over, I don’t get why people have kids and I am not sure I can do this. Now, over a decade in, I am here to say, you are an incredible father.
You have worked a ton of hours over the years, since the kids were born, but when you are home, you always go out of your way for them. They quiver at the thought of you being home early, and when we all watch a movie together you sit in the middle of the couch with a boy under each arm, wry smile on your face declaring that it doesn’t get better than this.
As much as you protest and stamp your feet in frustration, you still keep the family Mindcraft server working and you always help the boys download the latest mods. You bought the boys Heely sneakers and of course, you bought a pair for yourself so that you could all go Heely together. You did the same with scooters.
More than all of this, you allow the boys to teach you. When you are short-tempered, you let the Ryan calm you down. You listen to Aaron go on about the books he is reading. Our boys are some of the snuggest people on the planet just because of you. You are not afraid to shower your sons with love and affection, and they are the same way.
You volunteer at every swim meet, showing them that you can give your time to support their passions and in turn they hang out at studio sessions, rehearsals, and shows when the band plays for us. You teach them that you can have an adult job, a family, and still pursue your dream of playing music.
When you can, you attend therapy appointments, food challenges, and IEP meetings. As much as you may not have the time, you go to therapy and try to learn about our kids. You ask questions at the IEP meetings, and play endless board games at the food challenges. Whenever I see you with the boys, I know I picked the right person to make a family and it makes me glad I chose you to share this adventure called Life.
We promise lots of sitting for you on Father’s Day………..
I love you, Jo-Ann