26 Comments
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Ben Gould's avatar

Now you've got me crying dammit.

Frank Santo's avatar

Loved this. I think you're doing life right.

Andrew Boryga's avatar

thank you brother Frank

Thomas Colón's avatar

Beautiful. Mine are 12 and 9 now and I get it. Sometimes I feel the loss, but I wrench myself into the now; who they were shaping who they are.

dustydusty's avatar

got me shedding a tear now, beautiful piece. sending love to you and your fam.

Andrew Boryga's avatar

Thank you bro! Miss you guys

Scott Marmorstein's avatar

That’s the way to do it. You have to be there with the kids as much as you can. Otherwise when they get older, how much will they still want to hang out with you? Learning the hard way even now.

Andrew Boryga's avatar

Amen. Thank you for reading

Scott Marmorstein's avatar

Bro, my kid is 21. I'm still, still, slowly, agonizingly, learning. It's like having endless homework, with no one to grade it for you, and then, someday, you die. Or did I just describe what writing books is like? Either way, it's probably about the same. Cheers! (Enjoyed your book, 'Victim' a lot, by the way.)

Andrew Boryga's avatar

Thank you Scott, so glad to hear that. And you’re spot on. A daily test for sure!

Alexander Sorondo's avatar

This is great. It's an understated ballsiness to write in earnest about how the things you and everyone else have always heard to be true are now very suddenly and viscerally revealing themselves to be true--but they seem unfamiliar because you never knew quite how that truth would look within the context of your life.

Andrew Boryga's avatar

Appreciate you Alex! Thanks

Lee Bacon's avatar

Such a moving glimpse at the ordinary, extraordinary moments of life with young kids. These emotional moments can hit at the weirdest, most unexpected times.

Andrew Boryga's avatar

Its a wild ride! Thanks for reading

Lauren Nossett's avatar

I always enjoy your newsletter, and this one was simply beautiful. Thanks for sharing this moment with us!

Andrew Boryga's avatar

Thank you, Lauren! Hope all is well!!

Lauren Nossett's avatar

Same to you!

Elizabeth Kaye Cook's avatar

Love all of this. I'm from the Tampa area originally. Nothing feels as homelike as that crystal green water. I also just had a baby a few months ago, and I have to say, I already miss when she was a tiny, sleepy newborn. She had this incandescent, evanescent beauty. Still does, though now she's more like my little giggling lady than an otherworldly visitor.

Andrew Boryga's avatar

beware of google photos!

Henny Hiemenz's avatar

Aw man Google Photos is the death of me. I’ll be just livin my life and one of those collages pop up and suddenly I’m a puddle

Will Kronenberg's avatar

My son’s ADA ramp equivalent is the hose. Favorite animal at the zoo? The hose, so adaptable that it can be found with the flamingos, penguins, and monitor lizard.

Andrew Boryga's avatar

thats a new one! is the hose outside at least, so you can avoid paying the entrance fee?

Will Kronenberg's avatar

We thankfully have a membership that’s pretty affordable. And while there’s no hoses, the walk up has storm drains, utility panels, electrical boxes, and sprinklers so it’s still quite the gauntlet even getting inside.

Andrew Boryga's avatar

like a kid in a candy store

Kellasandra's avatar

In my murky Boca Raton waters with a box of tissues too...

Andrew Boryga's avatar

the sargassum really does a number on this side of the state