love letters

From here.

Dear Em,
This weekend is Father's Day weekend. Want to know a funny story about your daddy? He & I dated for a long time before we got engaged & got married. We did a lot of growing up together.

Needing validation & reassurance one day, I asked your daddy how much he loved me. He looked like he was really thinking about it for a moment & then said, "I don't know, like a truck load?" A truck load?! Are you kidding me?! Of all of the large things your daddy could be thinking of to compare his overabundance of love for me, he chose one small truck load?

After a lot of whining & complaining from me to tell me something bigger & better than a truck load, your daddy looked at me, smiled & said, "ok, like two truck loads?" Sigh, that's your daddy.

After that, it was kind of our thing. I'd ask him how much he loved me. He would tell me a truck load. I would pout, & he would laugh at me.

I can't remember the first time I got the answer I was looking for. Maybe it was when we were in the middle of frustrating wedding planning. Maybe it was in the middle of me being frustrated with the largeness & sickness of pregnancy. One day after years of asking, I asked & he told me he loved me to the moon & back.

Then you came along. If you asked your daddy that very first moment you came out & he held you in his arms, he loved you to the moon & back. If it was possible to articulate more than that, it would have been more than that.

I love watching the two of you now. You have a bond like no other. You two like to make milkshakes together, jump on trampolines together, talk about poop together, & laugh together. Sometimes, I love to go out just so I can give you two special time together. Most of the time, I like to stay so I can watch you two.

I'm looking forward to this weekend. I can't wait to celebrate your daddy, the incredible man & amazing dad he is. We're so lucky, lucky in love.

I love you so,
Mommy