This Is Your Father and I Love You

To my son Tommy,

I think I enjoy writing to you so much because of the Downey natural ability for story-telling.  Besides being Irish, which means you can tell someone to go to hell and make them look forward to the trip, the Downey clan just has a knack for spinning a yarn.  I, by no means, consider myself the best at telling a tale especially after seeing the talent at dinner tonight.

As usual, on Saturdays we try to head out to your Grandma Roro's house for dinner.  Through the course of dinner we run the gambit of stories, from pets to children, from Wyoming to Kentucky to Italy to Puerto Rico, from present day to a time long ago and faraway, some new stories and some stories told so often that we can recite them in our sleep.  Even those stories we know by rote, somehow a Downey can tell them and   somehow enthrall us yet once again.  We talk about life and love and everything in between.  It reminds me of a slightly condensed version of this blog, yet with a little more emphasis on humor but still maintaining all the deeper levels of meaning

Often your great granddad Leo holds the honors of story teller but tonight your great uncle Kevin (whom you call Cheeto monster) had the best story.  He was talking about the birth of his son (our cousin) Ryan.  During his rendition of the events, which had the typical Downey multi-faceted plot line, he told us that he talked to Ryan in the womb and simply said "Hello Baby Downey, this is your father, and I love you"  Over and over he talked to Aunt Janice's womb and said "Hello Baby Downey, this is your father, and I love you".  The story went on with the ins and outs and the details of c-sections and anesthesia , but Ryan was delivered into this world.   After the nurses did their thing, they invited uncle Kevin over to meet his son for the first time.  Ryan was crying and screaming (being born is pretty traumatic and deserves a good freak out) and  uncle Kevin walked over and said "Hello Baby Downey, this is your father, and I love you".  In an instant Ryan calmed down and instantly recognized his father's voice and his father's love and the security and comfort he already come to know.  It is the same reaction I hope to get when I print these out for you and day in and day out you read...

Sincerely with love from your Dad,
Leo