As a dad, this short email from my mom yesterday was the best birthday present she could’ve given:
“Your dad was 30 years old expecting his first child and not knowing boy or girl, I kept telling him you were a boy. After you came I’ll never forget the look in your fathers eyes the first time he held you, it was like nothing I’d ever seen. Even the room got quite for a brief moment as you looked right at him. Your dad leaned back over me and as he did, took your little hand and said it would never have to hold a hammer. I was already in tears, so that just really got me and I understood what he meant. I just wanted to share these precious memories with you as now being a parent you can feel their true feelings and what a gift your child is…Happy Birthday Jason, We love you more today than the day you were born…Our Love and Prayers, Mom and Daddy XOXO”
My dad’s a carpenter. He’s a damn good carpenter and he loves what he does. He chose that profession and yet he didn’t want his kids to follow in his footsteps. That still confuses me, but none of us did. My brother is a nurse, my sister is a teacher and I went into web design. As adults, we all ask him now for the construction advice he never gave us as kids.
It’s been nearly a year now since Adelyn was born and I can still recall the day vividly. Reading my mom’s email, it sounds nearly the same. Instead of saying what she’d never have to do though, all I could think about was all the potential she has. She can be anything she wants to be and do anything she wants to do and I’ll just be proud to be her dad.