Letters To You - Finch

4.22.20

Being at home while we’re all social distancing has made me realize just how much I like coming home.

Seeing my dogs and showering them in kisses, the rhythm and timing of making dinner - chopping onions while watching reruns of Frasier, hearing John’s key in the lock and feeling a flash of excitement as the dogs scamper towards the door.

Being home all the time is strange. 

I love my home. It’s cozy and all of my favorite things live here - Bukowski anthologies, my dogs, a shitload of Bruce Springsteen artwork, John - but I miss the outside world.

I miss people. I miss live music. I miss splitting appetizers, shivering in the popcorn-scented darkness of movie theaters, seeing familiar dogs at the park and endless cups of tea at Mom’s house. I miss happy hours, hours lost in bookstores and striking up conversations with random strangers at Target. 

But you’ve gotta focus on the good.  

At least three times a day, I get up from my makeshift office in the dining room and amble over to John’s office where I lazily drop a kiss atop his head, snuggle up against his neck and then, make my way back to my own corner of the house.

I get to have lunch with my husband regularly which never happens in the real world because a lunch date would be a 60 mile round trip. 

I get to share my lunch with Roxy. And by “get to,” I mean that Roxy sits nexts to me, glares, yelps and scratches me until I give her a little of whatever I’m eating. 

This isn’t bad behavior. This is how the world works -  the rules don’t apply if you’re beautiful. Roxy’s not wrong, either. If someone has food and they don’t share, it’s OK to resort to violence.

She didn’t drink it - she prefers Pinot Noir.

There is no way I could do this under “normal” circumstances and while social distancing is really tough at times, I can’t help but be grateful for the opportunity to connect a little better with my family. 

Hey Will. It’s Mom.

I know these are supposed to be letters to you but this one? This one’s a love letter to your dad.

Dude, I like your dad so much.

This is a thing that Mommy does. She straight up attacks faces with kisses - your dad, Bear, Bones, Bebo and pretty soon you. I will try to contain myself…and I will fail a lot. Sorry, kid. Them’s the breaks.

I mean, yes - I love him, but more so than that - I like him and I respect him. 

In addition to being one of the smartest men I’ve ever met, he’s also generous and kind. He’s interested in the world, confident and at ease with everyone he meets and he has a great sense of adventure.

I once told your Nanny that your dad doesn’t have it in his DNA to let shit go sideways. He’s got a Formula One driver’s mind - thinking about the hairpin turn before the car even starts. I have full faith in him and as a result, he makes me feel brave.

I hope he makes you feel brave too. 

There are a ton of qualities I hope you inherit from me - an appreciation of spices, the love of the written word and a belief that you are the most charming person in the room when there is a solid possibility that you may not be. 

But there’s so much I hope you inherit from your father. 

I hope you have your dad’s integrity and sense of honor. Your dad consistently strives to do the right thing and take care of the people he loves. 

I hope you have his thick hair (his barber really should charge him double) and his blue eyes which always turn towards me when he hears a joke he loves.

I hope you have his sense of precision, his ability to math the shit out of things, his inimitable warmth and like with Daddy, I hope dogs come to you first.

But I hope you have my sense of humor. Seriously, I am so funny and Daddy only laughs at like, 15% of my jokes. 

I literally just made a hilarious 30 Rock reference and….silence. 

Oh and I hope you have my taste in donuts because Daddy likes cake donuts and that’s just insane. 

It’s a small cake with a hole in it!

You’re literally getting ripped off!

How does an accountant not understand this?! 

Where was I?

Oh yeah - your dad is an incredible role model. There is no-one else I’d rather be with and I cannot wait to see the two of you together. 

See you soon.

We love you xx