Carpal Tunnel
Poems of gratitude recorded during nap time.
If you’re new to Raising Myles, Welcome!
I write letters to my newborn son, Myles, sharing my journey as a first-time dad and spreading the love I didn't experience myself. If you’ve been here before — thank you for coming back. If you’re new here, below are some good places to start:
My most recent letter to him was Bebe Oso
On Friendships written by his Godmother, Rachel Leeke
I started write Myles short poems that I read out loud. They’ve been fun and healing. You can now find them all here. I recorded the two below during nap time.
46 Weeks Old
Dear Myles,
Carpal Tunnel
“Don’t spoil that baby,”they say
I wish they knew
The nights we prayed for a child
How could we spoil a blessing
from an everlasting God?
We hold, hug, and carry you
Though our wrist
sound like small fire crackers
we suffer through
This pain is nothing
In comparison to the void that was here
During Those night we prayed for a child
Love,
Daddy
Contact Naps When you sleep, I like to get eye level, Down to the horizon of your chest, just to make sure it rises and falls. I used to count the seconds between your breaths When you sleep, I like to put my two fingers right under your nose, Just to feel the warmth Flowing gently between your nostrils Sometimes when you're asleep, And your mother too, I stay awake just a little longer, To let Him know I'm grateful. Just to make sure, He isn't playing takebacks. Love, Daddy
A gentle heads-up: After writing these letters every week for about 10 months, I'm ready to explore some of the topics I've been avoiding around fatherhood, my own upbringing, and what it means to be raising a Black son. For the sake of remaining true to this work, protecting my family, and my mental health, I'll be paywalling some of these letters.
I’ll be sending a letter midweek explaining more in detail, but I wanted to thank you all for joining me on this journey thus far. It’s because of you—2000 of you and counting—that I show up every week, and it’s because of you that I’m able to call myself a writer. I hope you’ll consider joining me on this journey.
Let me know your thoughts:
Is it possible to spoil a child?
Have you ever had Mommy/Daddy Wrist?
When, if ever, did you stop checking to make sure the baby was still breathing?
Do you nap? When? Where? How?
Want more of Myles’ Letters?
Read about My Wife’s Love Affair - It’s exactly what you don’t think
Have you ever been Cooking in the Bathroom kind of tired?
Check out Carrying the Gift, Holding the Love
Read about Our first Father’s Day.
I’ve teamed up with some great people to host a writing group called Locked In - a weekly virtual writing session for Black, Indigenous, & Writers of Color and writers of the global majority. We write together every Friday at 9:00AM ET. If you’re looking for some community around writing, please tap in.
You can spoil a child, but not with love. You can spoil them with material things, but heap on the love. That just builds a strong, capable child who knows where home is.
Dear Marc,
1) No, not with love, not in the way people mean it.
2) Yes!
3) It took a long time, months, possibly not until they were walking and talking (I have twins)
4) Ha! Not really. When they napped I wanted to do the things I couldn't do when they were awake, like stare out at the garden, have my hands free, take a bath. I don't think I caught up with all that lost sleep until they were over five.
Loving your work, loving your son,
Eleanor