From the Outside In and Inside Out

Unconditional Love: For You, Now and Forever

If you’re new to Raising Myles, Welcome!

I write letters to my son, Myles, sharing my journey as a first-time dad and spreading the love I didn't experience myself. I am using my writing to save money for his college plan. Myles is now 8 months.

If you’ve been here before — thank you for coming back. If you’re new here, below are some good places to start:

• How I Proposed to Your Mother

• How I Met Your Mother

• Balm for Wounds

• Tell them Where You’re From

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I started writing Myles short poems that I read out loud. They’ve been fun and healing. You can now find them all here.

Some letters to him really serve as a reminder of why I started these letters in the first place. The one below is a written for Myles to enjoy as a toddler. It’s a reminder of unconditional love.

This is for you, now and forever

37 Weeks Old

Dear Myles, 

did you know, 
daddy loves you
from the outside in and the inside out?
from that smile
and those eyes
that rest under those brows,
to that chin that points
to your beautiful heart.

from those shoulders
to those fingers,
and can’t forget those elbows.

from those knees
we pray on,
to those ten little toes.

and that skin
that shines with melanin.
daddy loves you from the outside in and the inside out.

when you stand up tall 
even when you fall, 

to when you laugh,
and even when you cry. 

daddy even loves you when you’re angry,
and even though you shouldn’t, 
daddy will love you if you lie.

because daddy will love you even when you do wrong,
but daddy loves, loves, loves when you do right.

So never have fear,
never have a doubt.

because daddy loves you 
from the outside in
and the inside out.

Love,
Daddy
 
P.S - It was an exhausting week. Recorded this when you were sleep.

This poem was inspired by Romans 8:31-39 - I found comfort this week in knowing, nothing can separate us from God’s Love.

A special shoutout to our newest paid subscriber

Stanley Fritz

, who writes

Let's Not Be Trash

— Appreciate you brother.

While I don't rely on people paying, all funds collected from writing these letters go towards Myles' college savings. Consider upgrading your subscription to help ensure Myles avoids student debt like his dad.

If you can’t commit to a monthly subscription, but still want to support, here is my Buy Me a Coffee page.

Let me know your thoughts:

1. How is your heart doing?

2. I keep waking up in awe everyday still in unbelief. Does this feeling of “wow, I’m a parent ever goes away?”

3. Looking back on your journey as a parent, is there something you wish you could have done differently? What lessons have you learned from those experiences?

4. What does unconditional love mean to you?

5. If you are an avid reader of these letters, whether you comment or not, I just want to say I appreciate you — thank you for being here.

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Celebrating Black Writers

I built a virtual and interactive library to celebrate writers who have inspired me in writing to Myles every week. This is me giving them their flowers.

Recently I added

𝐏𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐔𝐒

Rose J. Percy

Alex Elle

Joshunda Sanders

Chioma

Tembe Denton-Hurst

John Onwuchekwa

Tabitha Blair

Give them a read.

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Want more of Myles’ Letters?

• For the Love of Water

• Last week you met your Grandfather

• Tell Them Where You’re From

• 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?