4/29/21

Dear Atlas,

It’s me, your Dad.

You’ve kept me and your Mom on our toes this week; we’ve been expecting your arrival any day now and are excited for you to finally get here.

I was thinking yesterday about how it will feel to hold you in my arms. Normally, I try to pass a newborn baby away to their mother as quickly as I can. But it’s going to be different with you because you’re my Son.

I hope you never grow up feeling like you are our Son. It’s really more the other way around, Atlas. We are your parents. You picked us. When I think about things that way, it reminds me how much of an opportunity this experience will be to practice patience, humility, and understanding with you.

A lot of parents seem to take a dictator approach with their child, ordering them around, demanding they follow a strict schedule, and pushing them down predefined paths of education, sport, business, and culture.

There are a lot of things I hope you get to discover in your life. However, that’s only if you want to discover them. Ultimately, this life thing is entirely up to you once your Mom and I complete this upcoming stage when we provide for, care for, and support you for the next eighteen (or more) years.

Atlas, this moment feels surreal. It’s 7:56 a.m. in Tulum. The sun is shining through our living room windows (floor to ceiling glass!) and has landed on the beautiful flower arrangements your Mom placed throughout the room.

We’re ready for you, Atlas. In our hearts, and our home.

Love,

Dad