For all these years I have pursued myself. This is something that I think most people don’t even realize they are doing. And I have had a lot of extra time to think lately, as I hold and rock my daughter at night. So I boiled life’s choices down to the following list.

• Serve yourself
• Serve yourself while purposely serving another
• Serve yourself and coincidentally serve another
• Serve another

I never realized, how much I thought I was giving to others, when in actuality the decision was still rooted (foundationally) in me. My desires aligned with theirs, and so I could get what I want as well as help another.

That is until Gracie got here. She is what the word sacrifice was built on. Along with love, joy, exhaustion, worry, peace, fear, and happiness. I had twenty-eight years to get into myself, but it only took one minute for my daughter to unwind it all. She will not only have the best and worst of me. She will get all of me. The good and the bad, the smiles and the warts, and though its a wee bit scary, I am ok with that.

I love you Gracie.

-daddy