Adam and I celebrated our wedding anniversary yesterday and his birthday is coming up this weekend, so now feels like a fitting moment for a public display of affection. But first, a short story from the morning...
Earlier today, my husband returned home from grocery shopping with our son while I stayed home to work on a project (launching this fall— yay!), and he looked uncharacteristically ruffled. Apparently while shuffling through the musical greeting cards in the store (we use them to occupy West while we’re changing his diapers,) he only found one Father’s Day card that wasn’t about “beer or flatulence.”
My immediate reaction was a quick snicker, but an instant later the implication sunk in and I was annoyed right along with my husband. Why is our culture so quick to stereotype in the name of humor? Hell— Adam doesn’t even really drink beer. (I do. Give me all the El Sully.)
Above: How Adam and our son spend the majority of their day-- reading around the cottage or garden.
My incredible partner left his job to watch our son 24/7, which is a great gig, but NOT an easy one. And in doing so, he back-burnered his professional goals and bolstered my career.
Above: Scenes from our anniversary dinner at home last night.
Frequently when we’re out, Adam goes to change West’s diaper in the men’s room, but is forced to return and ask me to handle the situation in the women’s room instead, because there was no changing table.
He cooks our family healthy meals. He organizes the porch/playroom 1000 times per day. He takes West everywhere. He’s patient. He’s strong. He’s kind. He’s just the absolute best.
Above: Adam cooking in the cottage kitchen while I play around with my camera.
Sometimes he’s one of the many dads present at a given location, whereas sometimes he’s the only man in sight. (For example, he was the only male parent or caregiver at West’s first swim class, during which all the mothers took turns sharing their birthing stories.) In either case, he’s unfazed.
One of the ways in which I support our family financially is through advertising, either on this blog or on my Instagram account. Our content is drawn from our everyday lives, so I hope that it chips away at the tired and outdated gender roles we see on screen and in advertisements. I appreciate a good laugh, but I’m also a fan of maintaining some mindfulness in the process. And I’m fairly certain that we can lift each other up without putting one another down.
Above: Every day, West shows me new words and images he knows thanks to reading constantly with his father.
Adam. You’re an extraordinary father, a dream partner, and an all-around delightful human. I raise my pint glass to you. Happy anniversary, happy birthday, and THANK YOU.
