A birthday note

Dear Bean,

It’s about 3:45 a.m. on the day of your birth and I’m so excited that I can’t sleep anymore. There are literally hundreds of people all around the world who are anxiously awaiting your arrival sometime today—your Grandma and Grandpa Tackett in Bakersfield, CA; your Uncle Benji and Aunt Amy in Seaside, CA; your aunts and uncles in Atlanta; your friends up and down the east and west coast, and here in Texas; and even your cousin Ann in Africa are waiting with bated breath. To be perfectly honest, we all really hope you are born TODAY. The fact that you are a week late is a sign that you’ve already inherited your mom’s stubbornness. Bets are that you will make your grand entrance (or should I say exit) sometime this afternoon.

In a couple hours, your mom and I will load up our purple Prius and drive a few miles south in Austin to St. David’s Hospital, where we will welcome you into this world. As I mentioned, there are so many people who are excited to meet you. Your Grandma and Grandpa Klingler drove in from Florida two weeks ago and have been circling around Austin, ready for you to be born. Yesterday, your Aunt Cory, Uncle Scott, and Cousins Jackson and Ali drove in from Dallas to be here in Austin on your birthday. Last night, all of us, plus your Great Aunt Claudia (Uncle Scott’s mom) went out for Italian food to celebrate this big day. Unfortunately, the Lakers lost game two of the finals last night, but Uncle Marshall and I are sure that you will be the lucky charm tomorrow to ignite the team when they return to Los Angeles for game three. The point is, Bean, you will be born into a wonderful family, who love you very much.

As I think about welcoming you into this world, it’s important that you know how much we’ve been planning for your arrival. We’ve created an entire room for you in our little house. Your friends and family have bought you a ton of new clothes and toys, and your mom and I have been studying hard to be the best parents in the world. Your mom, especially, has done an amazing job taking care of you. We’ve read an entire library of parenting books and asked our friends and family good questions about how to raise a child. Katie and I have studied our own parents, and other parents, and thought long and hard about how to be great parents for you. All that being said, I know we will not be perfect. We will make mistakes. You will not arrive today with an instruction manual and you don’t get to pick your parents. I can only promise you that I’ll work hard, always try to be better, and give you as much love as humanly possible.

I wouldn’t be your father if I didn’t take a moment to write a quick note about the world into which you will be born. In short, it’s wonderful, exciting, and complicated. Today’s technology allows me to write this note and post it on the Internet for your fans around the world to read. Your friend Tatman will probably read this between writing briefs in her law office in Washington, D.C. Your uncle Benji will read it at his apartment in California. Your cousin Ann is probably reading this as she winds down her job doing AIDS outreach in Africa. Your uncle Scott will read it on his Blackberry here in Austin. Although this technology will be obsolete by the time you appreciate this note, it has allowed us to do so many amazing things in the world.

Unfortunately, lots of people in this world still suffer. Bean, you will be born into a world that still has war and disease, and where millions are hungry and don’t have a safe place to live today. As you are born, the headlines in our newspapers show that our country is struggling with high gas prices and a faltering economy, which hurt the most vulnerable. Not every child will have the opportunities that you will have. I can’t protect your from these challenges or make them go away immediately. What I will try to do is give you some tools to fix them. Not necessarily during your first few years of life. Initially, your mom and I will work on feeding you and helping you walk. Eventually, you will have to heal our world.

Bean, I have big dreams for you. High expectations.

It’s about time for your mom to wake up. She has a lot of work to do today, and I need to be strong and ready to support her.

I love you very much, Bean, and I’ll see you soon.

Dad