Why Father’s Day is Better Than My Birthday

I’ve always loved my birthday. Call me selfish, but I have always loved the idea of a day dedicated to me. A therapist might say that’s typical for a middle child like me.

Now that I’m older, and a dad, my mindset has shifted. Now, instead of valuing days dedicated strictly to me, my favorite days are now those based on the relationships I’ve built: my wedding anniversary, and father’s day. (I’ll share more about my anniversary in a future post)

Being a parent is the best/hardest/coolest/wildest ride in life. Watching your kids stumble, grow, and love are the utmost moments in life. I have the pleasure of experiencing so many stages at once, as my kids are 19, 11, 4, and 1. A regular day-to-day doesn’t exist in our household, which I completely love. Every one of my kids are unique. Every one of them is special and has their own strengths, weaknesses, and reasons they are special. And I love my relationship with each and every one of them, which is just as unique as they are.

Ellie, my oldest, is 19 years old. She is in college and over the past 19 years has taught me how to be a dad. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing when she was born, and as the years passed on, I kept figuring things out as I went. She turned out pretty great, which you know if you follow this blog (I am pretty sure she is my #1 blog topic since I started blogging in 2006.

Cece, my 11-year-old, has been the biggest (and most rewarding) challenge of my life. Diagnosed with Autism and being non-verbal for the first half of her life taught me so much about patience and unconditional love. Now that she is verbal, we connect in so many ways. None bigger, however, than through our love of music. We play piano together often, which has created an unbreakable bond between us.

Scout, my fiesty 4 year old, is a “covid kid.” She has had to spend all day, every day, with her mom and me. I think for that reason, she is the most outgoing child I’ve ever met. She will talk to anyone at any time about anything. She is gifted at describing her emotions, thoughts, and dreams, and makes me laugh every single day. (Especially when her internal dialogue is spoken aloud, which happens about 234483728 times a day)

Finally, there’s Avett. My wonderful little preemie baby boy who has turned into quite the “butterball.” He is sweet and affectionate and loves to eat. He let’s me play rough with him (as I did with all my girls) and gets so excited anytime I walk into the room. His heart is big, as is his beaming smile. He is a light for the rest of his family.