Dear Jack,

Yesterday was your birthday party. We went to Nick’s Cove in Tomales Bay, which has become a tradition, because at this point, the adults are still in charge and we like oysters, pink sparkling wine, and bloody marys. Nick’s is a great place for the whole family, though. You ate macaroni and cheese with dungeness crab, opened a few presents (“PURPLE MAMOKO!”), and then went fishing for seaweed out on the pier with Scarlett. It was a beautiful, sunny day and even a swarm of aggressive yellow jackets couldn’t ruin the fun. Deciding it was either us or them, we tried to get them drunk on apple juice…it’s a long story. No one got stung.

Afterward, we came back to my house for dinner, more presents, and a very ornate Frozen performance by you and Scarlett, which involved Pops hiding behind a blanket and sprinkling Styrofoam “snow” over the two of you while you spun, gyrated, and sang. It was certainly the highlight of my day.

It’s been my habit to write letters on your birthday, both to commemorate another year and so that you know how important you are to me. As my ALS progresses, I find myself wondering how many more letters I’ll be able to write to you, what the chances are that this will be the last one. If it is (and even if it’s not), there are a few things that you should know.  Read More>