To my partner, my soulmate, the parent of our children, this letter is a thank you.
A thank you for knowing that our family doesn’t have just one parent. That our children are our children, not just mine. I know you know that parenting is both of our responsibility, and I don’t have to ask you to carry your weight.
From day one, I thank you for changing more diapers than I did during our hospital stays so I could try and recover. For waking up and doing middle-of-the-night feedings with me, even when I was breastfeeding, just to keep me company.
Thank you for taking care of our home.
Thank you for doing the dishes because I will let them pile up endlessly to avoid doing them. For taking turns cooking dinner without even being asked because somebody’s gotta do it, thank you. I am grateful to you for patiently feeding our kids when my patience wears thin. Thanks for bathing the kids while I finish work or clean up the kitchen.
Thank you for handling pick up or drop off at school because our schedules are always all over the place. My heart thanks you for the lunches that get packed so that I don’t have to deal with that when I am grumpy in the morning.
For the countless forts and cabins and Lego scenes you’ve built and cleaned up, thank you.
Every time you catch that the laundry is sitting in the washing machine and not in the dryer, thank you!
Our parenting is a partnership.
I appreciate the moments you spend doing all you do because I know how hard it gets. We share each responsibility, we are parents together, and we are tired, together. I am grateful this parenting journey is shared 50/50, as it should be. Thank you for carrying the mental and physical load with me.
Thank you for picking up my slack when days get hard or work is rough. I will always return the favor. My heart appreciates you for noticing that when you also work days that are far too long, I pick up your slack. Some weeks can look heavier to one person but in the end, the scales are always balanced.
I hope you know that I appreciate all the mundane tasks you do and recognize that we are in this together. We are a team, we are partners, we are parents, together.
Let’s celebrate the parents that don’t need to be asked to be parents!
