3/15/21

Dear Atlas,

It’s me, your Dad.

I wanted to let you know that I didn’t forget about writing to you yesterday. Your Mom and I gave each other our one-hundred-percent attention yesterday, and that meant “us” time. You’ll understand when you get older.

It’s becoming very real to me (and to your Mom) that you will be here any day now. That thought still triggers a big exclamation point in my energy, a lot of excitement, joy, uncertainty, and admittedly—fear.

Whenever the fear arises, I try to remember that nothing in life would ever make me feel one hundred percent ready to be a parent. Yet, when I look at you, and at and my own life, I realize how ready I am to be a Dad.

“With every baby comes a loaf of bread” is a saying I once heard. Whenever I hear that, I think about the wonderful blessings that will occur once you are born.

I think about memories I haven’t had yet but I know are certain to come because of you being in our lives: sharing laughter, enjoying breakfasts together, writing notes for your Mom, rocking you to sleep, and making eye contact for the first time.

When I was younger, I didn’t have the consciousness or capacity for these ideas. I think that’s why I feared having a family. Now that you’re on the way, all of these revelations have come to me, and I now feel an excitement for you that I didn’t know I could have ahead of your birth.

I’m ready for you, Atlas. And I want you to be here.

Love,

Dad