jb, The Father Of My Children

The best thing I've ever done for my children was to choose jb as my co-parent.  No one ever doubted she'd be a phenomenal parent (kids have always been drawn to her and she has an inhuman reservoir of  patience), but still, somehow she manages to impress me everyday with how perfectly she fits the role of dad to our kids.  It's the role she was born to play and it's evident that everything she does is with our best interest in mind.  We are so freaking lucky.

Tomorrow, on Father's Day, we will wake up in a jb-less house.  She's been gone for several days already, but thankfully will be back very soon.  I was nervous to be home alone with the kids for a stretch of days.  In part because of all that jb does to keep our household running smoothly (laundry, dishes, taking the trash out, walking the dog...the list goes on and on), in part because she is a very hands-on parent (this affords me much-appreciated down time, but also makes the kids miss her terribly when she's away), in part because she pampers me (I get ice-cream delivery and foot rubs on the regular), but mostly because she's my best friend.  I miss having her around.  I miss talking with her.

Perhaps the greatest joy in my life is watching people I love as they love each other.  My parents and my kids.  Leo and Zoe.  My siblings and jb.  But the love that these kids have for their dad... it's a blessing to witness such a powerful love.  The sun rises and sets with jb for both Leo and Zoe.  Sometimes I tell myself that it's probably because jb is away at work during the day, so I don't feel slighted when they leap/squirm out of my lap and run/crawl towards the door the moment they hear jb come home.  The truth is, though, jb has earned every ounce of that love.

I've never met someone so easily able to connect with a child - and she rarely misses an opportunity to have meaningful, in depth conversations about life and the world with her three year old.  She is generous with affection, silliness and attention.  She leads by example - she models kindness and manners and work ethic and patience and unconditional love.  She makes sure, that even when her job is demanding and she has many commitments that she is seeing through, we know that we are her number one priority.

We are so lucky.  I genuinely think that anyone who has jb in their life is lucky - and we are the luckiest among the lucky.  I have great hope that our kids grow up secure in their dad's love and support - and follow in her footsteps.  I wish them the same gentle spirit and decency.  Should they choose to partner, I hope they will both seek someone who treats them as well as they've seen jb treat me and reflect that appreciation and respect back to their partner.  Should they choose to parent, I hope they will build on the foundation that jb laid and nuture their kids earnestly and enthusiastically.

I am so grateful to jb for the amazing job she does as a parent.  For sharing the work load in this monumental job.  But most of all, for the company on the journey.  Happy Father's Day my truest love.