4/1/21

Dear Atlas,

It’s me, your Dad.

The moments are ticking away until you arrive, and I’m doing a lot of processing. There’s a part of me that feels like I somehow missed the bus for “Dad school” and other people know more than I do about what it means to be a parent.

You may feel this way someday. Or perhaps you’ll join the ranks of Dads who seem like they were born with a diaper bag in one hand and a bottle in the other.

I think this is part of the process, Atlas. It’s also a lot like the life experience I’ve had so far, always feeling like somebody knows more than I do when I’m in the middle of new and diverse experiences.

Admittedly, things feel clearer on some days than on others. Like when you love someone, there are moments when you’re head over heels for your partner. Other moments, you’re tripping over your own heels to find space away from them.

Life is a perpetual game of push and pull, Atlas. However, in the middle of that tension is a beautiful place of harmony. Yes, sometimes you wonder if you’re in the eye of the storm or safely out of its path. That’s okay.

I wish I could tell you I’m prepared to be a Dad—or at least that I feel like I am. I don’t, though. And I think it’s important for you to know that even your Dad has moments when he doesn’t feel like he has it all together.

Someday, though, I know we’ll all be sitting at the dining room table, looking out huge windows at the view in front of us, and soaking in the rays of being a family unit that loves each other.

It’s all worth it.

Dad