Mom
Hannah has always had that thing about her. She’s effortlessly put together, always remembers events I need to be at, and is the kind of gift giver that sets the bar too high for the rest of us. She’s so good, in fact, that when I show up with a surprisingly decent gift, people still look right past me and say, “Thanks, Hannah!” And honestly? I’ll let her steal my spotlight every time.
She’s been my rock from the very beginning. I think I knew I was going to marry her the second or third time we hung out. Back when I lived on 11th Street in Ocean City, I walked into my room one day and found her folding my clean laundry. I still suck at folding laundry in a timely manner, and I’m sure she’s thrilled by that progress (or lack thereof) nearly a decade later. But at the time, that simple gesture was probably the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me—and she didn’t even think twice about it.
And while she’s always been there for me, it doesn’t hold a candle to how she shows up for Hudson and Archie. She’s got two proud mama’s boys, and no—she doesn’t enable them. She’s just that incredible. As fun of a dad as I try to be, I know I don’t belong in the same league as Mom.
Through every twist in our journey, through all the uncertainty and anxiety, she’s remained steady. When she rocks the boys to sleep each night, she’s also plotting our path forward—how we’re going to not just survive, but thrive. Even when doubt creeps in, her instincts kick in. She handles every challenge with grace and what looks like effortless ease (even though I know it’s anything but).
Friends, family—even Archie’s doctors—often comment on how “well-adjusted” we seem. But here’s the truth: it all rests on one person. When our future took an unexpected turn, a fire lit inside her. One minute she’s looking up DIY birthday ideas, the next it’s the latest research breakthroughs on ATP1A3 mutations. She’s designed an aesthetic nursery and somehow transformed it into a functioning at-home hospital room.
No, this isn’t the future she imagined. But without her strength and resilience, it’s hard to imagine a future at all.