Team Mom

Dear Chicken Nugget,

I just finished reading an article about long-distance runner, Meb Keflezighi, and his preparation for last year's NYC Marathon (which he won) and this year's Boston Marathon.  It made me jealous of all the wonderful treatment professional athletes seem to get.

Keflezighi had a stress fracture, followed by some severe muscle fiber-something-or-other, and was nursed back to health by a team of professionals that looked after him almost 24/7 for several months.  Today I felt knee pain.  I put my feet up on the couch.  That's all I get.

Anyway, as I was reading about Team Meb and their singular focus to get him back to the starting line healthy, I realized that I am basically the captain of Team Mom.

Your mom is carrying the most precious thing in the world to us - you!  And my job is to make sure that she is healthy and happy.  I am the gatekeeper.  I am the bodyguard.  I am the personal assistant, the head chef, the massage therapist, the personal researcher, the provider of water and lotion. 

My job is to get your mom to the starting line so that she can get you to yours.

So, although I would still love to be a professional athlete some day (ha!) and be pampered and looked after by a team of experts, I can't help but love the role that I'm in right now.  I am Team Mom.

Looking forward to meeting you at the starting line.


Eternally yours,

Your papa


PS - Since you'll be reading this in the future, I predict that Meb Keflezighi wins the Boston Marathon in 2010.