Happy Father's Day

Quite often I get asked, "How do you manage being both the mommy and the daddy to your son?" This question always catches me off guard because I do not consider myself to be both mother and father. I am not, nor will I ever be, Jack's father. How could I be? I am totally and only his mother, and this is all I will ever be. This idea that I would try to somehow play both roles makes as much sense to me as thinking that I can fill in as the family dog, something we also don't have in our home.

And yet, I believe we are not lacking. Jack and I are blessed to be surrounded by wonderful men who support us, take care of us, and otherwise love us so much that we're convinced that life is just as it should be. And so today I would like to acknowledge the men in our lives who fill in the much needed spaces that only a man can fill. Some things are just better left to the men, like teaching Jack how to pitch a tent and make a periscope (thanks Dad), or modeling how to revere and respect a woman (thanks, Craig), or effortlessly tossing, spinning, and air- plaining my son all through the air (thanks, Corey). I truly cannot do alone, and thanks to you I don't have to.

Thank you, Billy, for giving me the experience of being loved totally and unconditionally. Thank you, Dad, for proving me wrong about you. Thank you, Sean, for showing me how a wife can be treated in marriage. Thank you, Donovan, for your very nurturing presence in the shittiest of times, as well as the joyous ones. Thanks, Corey, for the billions and billions of little things that have made my life so much more livable, from making Jack laugh when he's fussy, to creating the best toy ever! He lights up when he sees you, and so do I. Thank you for your unfailing support. Thanks, Nate, for paving the way to great parenting, showing me what an attentive, fun parent looks like. Thanks, Craig, for delighting in my son- oops, I mean, your son. I love that you love him like you do!

Happy Father's Day to you, my amazing army of men! I love you!