A letter to my Unborn Child

My wife and I expecting our first child in a few weeks. Here's my letter to him:

Dear son,

We haven’t met yet, but for these past 37 weeks, I’ve thought about you every day. I’ve thought about how I can be the best Dad to you, the way my Dad has been the best for me. You’re my first child, so I have no idea what to expect, but I do know it will be my job to lead, teach, and take care of you. I know I won’t be perfect, but having you around will force me to be the best version of myself (you get that from your Mom)!

I expect that you’ll come into this world kicking and screaming. And who wouldn’t?? We’re in the middle of a pandemic, wars are going on, and gas is high (not the type of gas in your stomach, but the kind you put in a car. We’ll talk about that later). But even though you’ll be entering this strange world, you’re not the first person to come into a chaotic time in history. The babies before you and before me have ALL figured out a way to survive and raise a new generation. With your Mom, we’ll figure out how to do the same. It’s a family tradition.

Although I look forward to teaching you, I must admit that I don’t know everything. I know much less than I think I do. Just ask Mom if you don't believe me. I hope you’ll be patient with me when you’re old enough to realize that I’m just as imperfect as anyone else. But although I’m not perfect, always know that I’m committed to you 100% and that I will never leave you.

And I want you to know the most important thing in life: Truth. Truth is complicated, but you’ll know it when you see it (and, more importantly, feel it). And as my Mom taught me, how can you begin to fix anything if you’re not starting with the truth? It’s essential to be honest because Truth doesn’t care who you are, where you are, or what you look like. The Truth always comes out whether you like it or not. So it’s better to stick to the Truth than kick the can down the road and not face it.

The Truth is, you will have your own life, and you’ll do what you want to do. I’ll probably go on and on about you should do this, and you shouldn’t do that, and you’ll roll your eyes at me and think, “he doesn’t get it,” but you will find out the truth whether I’m right or wrong, or whether you think I’m old and out of touch.

Speaking of old, will you care for me when I’m old? Here’s a deal: I’ll take care of you when you’re in diapers, and you’ll do the same when I wear them in my 80s. It’s okay if you don’t want to do that. I’ll figure it out. But you’ll have to take care of Mom, always, especially when I’m not around. Your Mom loves you, and never forget that.

And the Truth is, you’re going to grow up and be YOU, not someone who Mom and I want you to be, not someone society wants you to be, not that person you have a crush on wants you to be, but you will figure out how to be the best you that you can be, and don’t let anyone talk you out of that! Not even me.

Also, stay off of social media after 10:00 PM and brush your teeth twice a day. You’ll learn quickly that when your Mom blinks her eyes very slowly, it’s probably a good idea to shut your mouth, listen to her and say, “yes, Ma'am.” And finally, always say please and thank you to everyone, and that will take care of most things in most cases. That’s all I got for you right now.

See you soon!

Love,

Dad