Why Didn’t Anyone Warn Me About Daddy Depression?
The Voice I Didn’t Realize Had A Name - Male Postpartum Depression
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:
Last week's letter, Am I a Good Dad, or Is the Bar Just Really Low?, has become one of my most-read letters ever. Thank you for the loving way you all showed up in the comment section—for me, for each other, and especially for the people in your lives.
My biggest takeaways from you all are:
Good parents ask themselves tough questions.
It’s not always about being good—it’s about being good enough.
Men need more friends.
Not everyone on the planet has seen The Office.
I have the best readers on the planet.
I love what we have created here.
A gentle heads up: The letter below is a deeper one about fatherhood, my own upbringing, and mental health. Most of it is behind a paywall.
All poems to Myles are open to everyone and his Monthly Mylestones too, but I have paywalled these Going Deeper ones and archived past letters. Many of you have convinced me I should seek to publish these letters; putting them behind a paywall will help, but I will keep our most-read letters open to everyone.
It was never my intention to use a paywall. But I have a son to send to college one day, and I believe people want to pour into me. You can read more about this decision and my thinking in the letter below.
If you are a paying subscriber — I am so grateful for you pouring into me, my son, and our family. Thank you for seeing the light in this work.
If you would like to contribute to Myles’ college fund and join me in this journey of going deeper, please consider upgrading your subscription.
Ok, on to today’s letter.
15 Months and 1 Week Old
Dear Myles,
I'm not sure exactly when it started. But below is a screen shot of one of the first letters I ever wrote around 20 weeks when you were still in your mother’s belly. I jotted it down in my phone one night —and only sharing it now because I’ve grown so much since then.
