Life Is Good

Dear Mike Meeker,

It may seem strange to some to address this letter to "Mike Meeker" but as you and I know I have always called you Mike Meeker since we were 13. I still do 24 years later and I always will. When we are 83 (me) and 84 (you), I will probably be yelling (because your hearing will be gone) "Mike Meeker quit playing video games and get some work done around here." And just like now, you'll say "yep, I'm on it" and keep right on trying to get to the next level.

In any case, I thought I would take a moment out of my glamorous day and write you a letter. When I tell our daughters that I am writing you a letter they want to do so also. Jessica would like to write you a "j" and a "d" and Katie would like to write you a "k" and a "m". I however, would just like to write a message to express my appreciation and love for you. I don't love you more because you are gone, it's just as Ingrid B explained to me so correctly, I just feel your positive impact that you have on our home and lives more because you are absent from both.

I would like to let you know that I think you are a great husband. I'm very thankful to feel this way after 16 years of marriage. You might not be suited for every chick out there, but you are perfect for me. This is why. You always get me water in the middle of the night. Even if we have just settled down and you are drifting off to sleep you'll still get up and get water for me. You allow me to end arguments and fights with a swift kick to your shin across the bed. It's our universal signal that our fight is over and I'm ready to be friends again. And you take the kick with good humor and thankfulness every time. You listen to my day and what's going on in my life. I imagine the details were way more interesting when I was working on Capitol Hill and got to meet famous people and plan amazing events but you still listen just as attentively even though now I'm working at home, meeting other toddlers and planning amazing pretend games. You have always supported everything I've wanted to do. When I wanted to be a photographer, you did a business plan for me and ordered business cards. When I wanted to take a sabbatical from work/life and join you on your med school rotations in Hawaii for 10 weeks, you worked our finances so I could do so. When I wanted to pour my heart and soul into a career you would brag to our friends that I was so awesome at my job I could make millions of dollars. And when I needed you to go through embarrassing and emotional tests, procedures and ordeals when we wanted to have a baby, you did so cheerfully with jokes and a great sense of humor. You even let me do a medical briefing with my doctor for your entire residency clinic about our very personal experience with infertility. You were a trooper. You are always a trooper. I think I can count on one hand (maybe 2) the number of times you've been in a bad mood. I know I would need only 3 fingers to count the number of times you have been mad at me. I would need both of our hands and feet along with our extended families to count my times. But you still don't complain and you just chalk it up to my Latin passion. Finally, I think you are a great husband because you respect me. And I respect you. So no matter what we've gone through or how we've changed, at the core of who we are lies respect. I think you are an amazing, brilliant and kind human being. And you think the same of me. Thanks for that.

I also wanted you to know that I think you are the best dad ever. Now, as you know, motherhood was a big transition for me that wasn't always easy. But it seemed as though when our girls finally got here, you never broke stride and eased into fatherhood...well like you'd been waiting for it your whole life. And you had. I know the thing you've always wanted is to have one person be in love with and to be a dad. Our girls have an amazing friendship with you. The trust and joy they have when they are with you is obvious to anyone who observes you with your children. I love that you cheer for Katie when she poops. I love that you get them out of dirty clothes, throw them in the bath, wash them thoroughly and put them in pajamas without me having to ask. I love that you get up on Saturday mornings and make cereal salad (all different kinds of cereal) and then play with them until you guys split PB&Js and chocolate milk for lunch. I love that even though you didn't grow up with it, that you love family snuggle time in our bed as much as I do. I love that you are 1/3 of the WonderPets and when the girls had to think of anything they could get you for Father's Day they wanted to make you a superhero cape so they could play WonderPets with you. I love that you care that their sippie cup plugs get really clean. Because I don't. And they would probably have some strange sippie cup plug disease if it weren't for you. Oh, one more thing. I love that you let them unlace your combat boots every night and then let them clomp around the house in them. Remember when the boots came up to their hips?

Okay, that's it. I hope you are well. I'm sure you are eating better than you do at home because anything is better for you than Rubios take out. I hope you aren't too lonely and I hope you can feel our love. Most of all, I hope you are safe. Be safe please. Our family would never ever work without you.

Love You Lots...Kisses and Hugs...Miss You Tonz, BFF-
Aim =)