Special needs dads are so hot when...

Dear Special Needs Dads,

It's not that your muscles aren't impressive or your hair's no longer gloriously thick or your smile any less dazzling than it was when we first met (they are, it is, always will be). It's just that we moms find some other stuff just as hot, sometimes even more so!

You're SO hot when you drive our kids to speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy—really, any therapy.

You're SO hot when you patiently go over letters or numbers or spelling or math with them, again and again and again.

You're SO hot when you help them eat an ice-cream cone or enjoy a Slurpee because they can't yet do it on their own.

You're SO hot when you load photos onto the speech app or help program it.

You're SO hot when you load the dishwasher, too.

You're SO hot when you play T-ball, basketball or catch together, figuring out ways to make it work and make it fun.

You're even MORE hot when our kids finally grasp a ball or the concept behind a game and you get a huge look of pride on your face. 

You're SO hot when you latch up their foot braces.

You're SO hot when you give them a bath. 

You're SO hot when you massage their muscles so they're less stiff, do the ABA exercises, Google information on the Ketogenic diet and toss around sexy phrases like "I'll deal with the insurance company."

You're SO hot when you fall asleep next to them after you read them the bedtime story.

Did we mention you're SO hot when you load the dishwasher?

You're SO hot when you get all demanding at the IEP meeting.

You're SO hot when you remember to give the medication. 

You're SO hot because you do things other dads don't have to without complaining, you don't get to cry to friends the way we moms can but still hold it all together, you (mostly) keep your cool when strangers are rude or places are unaccommodating, you cheer our kids on constantly and tirelessly even if you regularly fall asleep on the couch at 9:30 p.m. and snore as we're trying to watch HGTV but we're not complaining (mostly), you make our kids giggle like nobody else can with your Daddy jokes, you comfort all of us with your big Daddy hugs, and you do whatever possible to enable our kids, empower them and help them have the best life possible.

Love you.