06/12/2026
It's summer break, which means I don't always go into the office when the kids are home. Today was one of those days.
I had been outside for a bit when my daughter told me she wanted a snack. Apparently, she decided I needed one too.
When I came back inside, she had the biggest grin on her face and said:
"Daddy, there's something in your desk. Go look. Now scoot, scoot!"
As she waved both hands at me, shooing me toward my office, I knew she was up to something.
I walked in and found three Double Stuf Oreos stacked neatly on my desk with a blue sticky note beside them.
It read:
"I love you! These oreo's have love in it!
Love, Hadley"
That's it. Three Oreos and a handwritten note from my little girl.
And somehow those three cookies felt more valuable than just about anything else on my desk.
As parents, we spend so much time worrying about whether we're doing enough, working enough, providing enough, being present enough. Then a moment like this sneaks up on you and reminds you what really matters.
One day she won't be waving me into my office with a secret surprise waiting on my desk. One day there won't be little notes with misspelled words and giant hearts drawn across the page.
But today there was.
Today, I got three Oreos filled with love.
I'm not crying, you're crying.
Moments like these remind me how grateful I am to be able to work from home sometimes. The emails, meetings, and deadlines will always be there. The little girl who leaves love notes and cookie towers on my desk won't stay little forever.
Such a sweet girl.
I love you too, Hadley. ❤️
