fatherhood

Leave a comment Posted on Enneagram, fatherhood, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: You are the Helper and the Host

8 years, 7 months.

Dear Holly,

Both for your brother’s recent birthday dinner as well as our big Thanksgiving dinner at our house coming up today, you assigned yourself the task of setting the table and assigning everyone’s places at the table.

This is particularly interesting to me, as this year I have pinpointed exactly which Enneagram each person in our family is. As an Enneagram 2 Wing 3, yours is referred to as “The Hostess”.

As your Daddy, you truly make it so easy to adore you. I love your gentle and kind spirit. I love how you are always aware of others’ needs.

You are so special to me.

Love,

Daddy

1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: I’m Not the Handyman, but You Are!

14 years old.

Dear Jack,

One of my many life mottos is this:

“Be proud of your strengths and make jokes about your weaknesses.”

With that being said, there has never been any question that the “handyman gene” went straight from one Jack Shell (Papa) to the next Jack Shell (you).

In other words, it totally skipped me!

But I am happy for you that you have the kind of brain that is eager to get in there and figure out how to fix whatever it is that needs fixing; when it comes to home repairs.

Yes, it’s true we paid off our mortgage a few weeks ago. However, that doesn’t change the fact that owning a home means that there is always something that must be considered “under construction”.

And I am certainly not the man for the job!

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on fatherhood, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: Your Cousin Darla’s 9th Birthday

8 years, 6 months.

Dear Holly,

With your brother’s birthday, Papa’s birthday, and your cousin Darla’s birthday all being within about a week of each other, it has been a marathon of birthdays leading up to Thanksgiving next week.

And while that has always been the case, the difference is now we live in the same town as Papa and your cousin Darla.

So that means for the first time, our family of 4 is able to celebrate each other’s birthdays together; as a family of ten.

Now we can just all meet up in the middle of the week.

This concept is finally starting to set in. It’s a really nice change.

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on fatherhood, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: Your 14th Birthday Party Festivities

14 years old.

Dear Jack,

This year instead of having an official birthday party, you decided you wanted to take a family weekend trip to Tennessee, to revisit some of your favorite spots and catch up with some of your friends there.

That included racing go-karts and playing carnival games at GO USA Fun Park.

You really loved being able to go to a skateboarding shop at the Franklin Factory, we you got a new beanie and skateboarding t-shirt.

We were able to stay in a hotel for free (thanks to using “points”), where we celebrated your actual birthday and where you opened your gifts from us.

Then, once we got back to Alabama the next day, we celebrated again at our house with the rest of our family.

You even proclaimed, “I think this is the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

I would love to take credit, but the whole weekend was all your idea!

Love,

Daddy

 

Leave a comment Posted on fatherhood, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: A Dad’s Letter to His Son on His 14th Birthday

14 years old!

Dear Jack,

Here recently, you have been making a point to reminisce with Mommy and me regarding your childhood memories; specifically the ones that now fall into the personal nostalgia category in your brain.

It got me thinking: What exactly were we doing a decade ago, since that is the point in time you have been referring to?

Whatever you were doing 10 years ago, I was doing too. My life is undeniably in tandem with yours.

So I decided to go back through my old letters to you from a decade ago; to the Fall of 2014.

I had just finished my 3 year stint as the officially daddy blogger of Parents magazine, but we were still being sent new vehicles for our family to review on my website. So I took a lot of pictures of our family wherever we went.

And by “our family”, I simply mean you, Mommy and me. Your sister was not even a thought yet. At that point, Mommy and I still assumed you would be an only child.

We were having our “new” house built and in the process of moving out of our townhome.

You were really into Legos, trains and superheroes.

It makes me feel good that as you look back on these memories, you remember your childhood as a fun, warm, and safe place to return to.

Because… I’m sort of responsible for that. I want you to feel solid in knowing that you have been raised, and will continue being raised, in a loving, encouraging, and empowering household where it is our intent to make life meaningful and create beautiful experiences.

Happy 14th birthday!

Love,

Daddy