Daddy - Tobin Photography

On June 5th, 2010, my precious daughter, Soleil, was born, transforming me instantly into a daddy. Nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelmingly powerful love that I would experience in this new role.

I love holding her in my arms as we dance around our kitchen in our socks, her thrown back in laughter. I literally feel my heart open, beaming love out into her chest pressed so close against my own as I rock her to sleep, singing James Taylor’s, “Sweet Baby James”.

I feel an almost mystical sense of purpose as I explore and teach her about the miraculous natural world on walks through the woods.

I give thanks each day for the awesome gift that she is and for the opportunity she’s given me to grow as a man. Though it’s the single most challenging (and sometimes exhausting) endeavor I’ve ever undertaken, it is by far the most extraordinary.

My hat goes off to all those incredible parents who’ve come before. And to all those who look forward to it with excited anticipation, I say this to you: “You’re in for the ride of your life.”