A Birthday Tribute to Emily

It isn’t easy to find a picture of just Emily.

That’s because she doesn’t live life with herself at the center. She pours her heart, soul, and time into her family, whether it’s sweeping us off on our latest adventure (this picture was taken in Stratford this past summer), signing the kids up for life-changing experiences like Everett’s French Immersion program in Quebec, opening doors for all of us in theatre, encouraging to improve out singing and cello, helping with schoolwork, crafting Halloween costumes, or whipping up the latest round of Rice Krispie Squares.

Emily likes to joke that she isn’t the “traditional mom.” She may not carry a bottomless purse of emergency snacks, but she can handle a power tool with confidence. And really, mothers shouldn’t be defined by clichés anyway. They are defined by love, strength, devotion, endurance, wisdom, and kindness. In those, Emily shines every single day.

I’ve often told the story of when Emily and I played the Beavers in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Two audience members whispered about our chemistry and suggested that we should start dating, but then were told by a friend that we were already married.

That story always makes me laugh, but it also reminds me of something deeper: Emily’s presence has always carried that spark. Even when our marriage has faced its ups and downs, and even when I haven’t been the husband she deserves, her light has carried us forward. I’ve been open about my mental health journey, and my recent AuDHD diagnosis has finally pulled back a curtain that kept so much in the shadows. I’m still gathering the pieces of myself, but through it all, Emily has been there by neomg supportive, compassionate, and endlessly willing to learn and adapt with me.

Emily is a gift. She is a leader. She is a goofball. She is a provider. She is a mother. She is the love of my life.

But above all else, Emily is herself: true, loving, committed, wise, and wondrous.

Happy birthday, Emily. We love you so much. Here’s to another year of spreading your joy and love to your family and to the world beyond.