3/6/21

Dear Atlas,

It’s me, your Dad.

Time feels like it’s flying by and standing still at the same time. I can’t say you’ll understand this feeling when you get older, because you might not. I certainly didn’t expect to feel this way.

I’m eager to hold you in my arms and connect the dots of your arrival with what that means for us as a family.

Things haven’t quite been the same since I found out you were coming into our lives. There was a finality that didn’t exist in my mind before, the knowledge that you would soon be a living, breathing human being and nothing will ever change that.

I’m thirty-three, Atlas. And I’ve had a really wonderful life—and continue to. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that it really does get better over time. Not for everybody, but for the people who see the sunrise each day and greet it with a smile.

That’s easier said than done, Son. It’s also a lot easier to do than you might think. When I start my morning with gratitude, things seem to go a lot better that day. However, when I start the day off with stress and worry, it tanks the day.

These days, you’re one of the first things I see in the morning, along with your beautiful Mom. In the background, I see a beautiful jungle full of birds and fresh morning air. I can’t help but feel like I’m a participant in the most wonderful life I ever could have asked for—and I get to share it with you and your Mom.

That, my Son, is worth everything.

I love you,

Dad