Who could ask for anything more?

This weekend is a special weekend for me. On Saturday, I will celebrate 11 years of marriage with my brilliant, amazing, strong and determined wife, Elyse. And on Sunday, we will celebrate Elyse’s birthday, and Father’s Day.

This weekend, in many ways, is a celebration of my life. The beauty of this weekend is I can share it with those I love most. And while the commercial world says I need to go out and buy something made of steel for our anniversary, and buy some trinket or some other gift for Elyse’s birthday. The expectation for Elyse is to give me some gift on behalf of our 2 children. The truth is, this weekend is a celebration of the gifts we have already received.

Elyse has given me strength, courage, and knowledge. She challenges me daily and expects me to rise to every challenge. She understands I am not perfect, and never will be. But with that said, she pushes me toward perfection. Even if perfection is something we can never achieve, there is no reason we cannot continue to strive to be better.

I am not the man I am today without Elyse. Her inspiration drives me to be a better person, a better leader, a better father and a better husband. She never hesitates to call me out. To hold me accountable for what I say and what I do. It can be frustrating and even angering, but in the end, she does it so I continue to be a better all around human being.

My gift to Elyse is being a feminist. Standing by her and fighting for a better world for all people, not just all women. To help move forward to a world where all of us stand on equal ground. By no means am I close to being where I need to be, but I am willing to push myself. I have a long way to go and a lot of work ahead.

And let’s not forget my 2 wonderful children. Moose and Bug, our amazing son and daughter, remind us everyday why we fight. They are an inspiration to us.

Moose has overcome so much already in his life. He was speech delayed, and now he has surpassed many of the kids in his class in reading and speech. He is about to start his 3rd year of acting school, and now he aspires to play ice hockey. He continues to amaze me.

Bug is our badass princess who takes shit from no one. Thursday, she took her first hockey class, and she rocked. Years ago, Jeremy Roenick, former NHL All-Star and current NBC Sports NHL Analyst, said on the Dan Patrick Show that women had no place playing professional ice hockey with men. FUCK YOU, ROENICK! My little girl can dominate if she wants.

What could be a greater gift this weekend than my family. They are the inspiration for everything I do, and for who I am. They are worth every moment of sacrifice I make. It truly is a labor of love.

Happy Birthday, Elyse. Thank you for 12 years and 10 months of sharing your life with me. Thank you for giving me the honor of being your husband for the past 11 years. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life and your family. And, thank you for 2 amazing kids.

I love you.