Hello there my 3-year-old!!!
You are seriously such a big kid. You are on track to be the first 6-foot Mottola. As you tower over us in the future and look back on these letters, I want you to know that you were never focused on your height. You focused on growing a beard and having big toes. Weird, I know. You go back and forth on facial hair, sometimes being excited by the idea and sometimes crying and defying you’ll ever get it. Sorry, but at 1/4 Italian and looking at your mother’s paternal line you will definitely get a full beard. It’s not that we push the idea on you. Rather, you come to your own realizations and opinions. Similarly, you like to walk up to me and point at my big toes and excitedly tell me that you’ll have toes just like me one day. This will be true, and they too will have hair!
We did our best under COVID-19 circumstances to throw you a birthday party. We took a “rotation” approach and started out with the Chaffees and Jorge early in the day, kicked them out and welcomed extended family. Nina’s family stayed with us through the weekend, so you had constant playtime (or ignorance, depending on the time of day and game) with your cousins Harry and Winnie. We threw you a Star Wars-themed party and as a result you got many Star Wars toys and games and several costumes. I dressed up and surprised you mid-party as Obi-Wan Kenobi to engage in an epic battle with you, donning your new Darth Vader light saber. I took the high ground. You know how the story goes.
The party and remaining Fourth of July weekend had less fireworks than usual, due to all the cancelled events. The real winner in all of that is Greta, who is absolutely terrified by fireworks and usually shivers her way anxiously through the night. COVID-19 restrictions always have a silver lining for someone.
On these birthday letters I am inspired to think a little bigger and reflect on what your year has been and what the future has in store for you. The last year can be captured in one word: Personality. You have a big one. You are loud and boisterous and excited. You fill a room with energy and charisma. I hope you leverage that personality with leadership and responsibility. Our culture and society are in dividing times. Hard to say if the moment is unprecedented or totally normal. Looking back at the last century, it seems most common to have divisions but the topics change and trend toward better equality. We’re going to need some boisterous, big personalities to weigh in on the fairness and equality in the debates of future generations. Bring your listening ears (and big toes), not light sabers, and I bet you’ll help make progress.
Love always, Dad