Twenty one years ago today, someone special came into our lives
Happy birthday, Mick Joseph Dunning
Mick Dunning, a cherished son, brother, uncle, cousin, grandson, nephew, barista, student, teammate, friend, athlete, editor, photographer and extraordinary human being, turns 21 today.
Mick spent the first week of his life in the Neonatal ICU at the UC Davis Medical Center, where the best medical team in the country knew that his was a life worth saving.
We are so blessed to have him in our daily lives. He fills every moment with joy and kindness and caring and love.
He has filled our hearts to overflowing.
Twenty-One Years Into the Light
Today we watch you cross
that invisible threshold—
not from boyhood to manhood,
but from inheritance
into authorship.
Twenty-one years ago
we held you, astonished,
as if the universe
had trusted us
with something far too precious
to belong to us at all.
And now here you stand—
taller than our memories,
steadier than our fears,
already walking roads
we cannot walk for you.
We have lived long enough
to know the world is noisy,
full of promises and alarms,
full of people who mistake speed for wisdom
and power for truth.
But we have also learned
what lasts:
Kindness outlives cleverness.
Integrity outlasts applause.
Curiosity opens doors
that force never can.
And love—quiet, stubborn love—
is the only wealth
that grows when given away.
You were born into a time
both turbulent and miraculous,
an age when humanity stands
between fear and awakening,
between old habits
and new understanding.
And we see in you
what we have come to trust:
Each generation
arrives carrying fresh light,
able to see solutions
we could not imagine.
So today, we do not wish
that life be easy for you.
Easy roads rarely lead
to beautiful destinations.
We wish instead that you:
Trust your inner compass.
Laugh often.
Stand up for those without voices.
Apologize quickly.
Forgive generously.
And never forget
that your worth was never earned—
it was given the moment you arrived.
Know this above all:
No matter how far you travel,
how many cities you call home,
how many lives you touch,
there will always be two people
quietly cheering your becoming,
astonished still
by the miracle
that calls us Mom and Dad.
Happy 21st birthday, son.
Go live the story
only you can tell.
Most days it’s wonderful to see photos by Mick. Today it’s wonderful to see photos of Mick.