The Dynamic Duo

Dear Linc,

Today you turn two years old.  They have been very eventful years for you, and for your Mommy and I.  They’ve also been, unequivocally, the best of my life so far.  I feel safe in saying they have been the best of yours too, but I expect you’ll have far better ones.  It has been astounding to watch you go from being unable to lift your own head or roll over to being commander of the entire household.  Perhaps you don’t use that many words; and yes, you do call me Mommy, but it is pretty clear who you are talking to and what the command is when you pull me into the kitchen by the leg and point at the animal crackers or Cheerios.

I love watching you develop, and while there are constants (e.g. your love of cars and Anpanman), every day your interests shift and you pick up a few more skills.  Just in the past couple of days you’ve picked up the words seven, eight and nine and you seem to recognize written numbers when you see them.  You’ve become much more adventurous on the playground, climbing up and over everything in reach, even climbing unassisted (heedless of the nervous hands ready to catch you should you slip) to the top of a set of monkey bars I would have never predicted you would even attempt.

I’m not surprised that you can point out police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks on demand, but it astonishes me when I see you continue without hesitation when asked to identify individual car makes, and any of about 30 different characters from Anpanman.

Even as a newborn baby you were extraordinarily even-tempered and easy to deal with.  I have never encountered a baby who cried less, and while you have adopted tears as a method of asserting your independence lately, your overwhelming cheerfulness makes me a better person just for being around you.

I could go on all day pointing out your accomplishments and the characteristics that make you delightful to be around, but none of this gets us any closer to an understanding of what makes you so special.  That is beyond my linguistic capabilities so I’ll have to leave the inexpressible unexpressed.

I’m writing this letter to leave you with some observations that I hope will help you make the best of the endless potential ahead of you. 

I have no regrets. Every decision I have made in my life has led to this point, and I love where I am right now.  That being said, had I taken the insights below to heart, in high school and college particularly, I would have made more confident choices in the moment and been much less stressed out about almost everything.  So here is my advice for you this year.  Who knows, maybe I’ll turn this into a yearly tradition.

• Everyone else is just as uncertain as you are, some may just be better actors.  No one can see the future or read minds, so the only people not nervous about the results of their actions, are those who aren’t thinking.
• Nothing you will face today is as momentous as it seems to be.  Don’t be afraid to try things out and figure out what works and what doesn’t.  Keeping that in mind can help overcome the uncertainty.
• Trust Yourself!  This ties into the rest of my advice, and if you really manage to follow this one, the rest will take care of itself.  Your instincts are overwhelmingly correct, if you’ve thought it through, and it seems like the right course of action, then do it.  Remember that you have a strong moral compass, if yours tells you a course of action is wrong, plot a new course.  From time to time it will be convenient to fool yourself for expediency’s sake, recognize it and don’t let it happen.
• Live in the now.  It is important to remember and learn from the past, and to anticipate and plan for the future, but you should be living in the present.  Don’t wait for that mythical future when circumstances will be perfect.  If circumstances aren’t ideal, fix them.  If they are close enough, embark!  Always be mindful that you are an active participant in any situation you are in, and you can influence the outcome.  Never get lulled into the seductive notion that circumstances dictate your actions.  You decide how to live your life, and how you act in the world at every moment.

Love,

Daddy

Some photos from your second year: