Richard & Will

Hi there, We are Will and Richard Cannon, a married couple from San Diego, and we are thankful you’re reading this letter. We started our adoption journey about four years ago. We’ve been together 10 years, married for five and we are so excited to connect with you. We live in Escondido, a suburb of San Diego and we love the sunny outdoorsy and beachy life that southern California has to offer. We relocated from Dallas, TX about 8 years ago after meeting over brunch and mutual friends. It was a job offer for Will that brought us here and since then Will has grown from middle management to executive leadership at the same large, private company (he loves that family feel!). Richard didn’t hesitate to follow as we were madly in love. We’ve grown our life in San Diego, from getting married at the historic Balboa Park, convincing Will’s parents to move here, buying and making our first home – San Diego life is for us. Our neighborhood is new, but in an established town with the sweetest little downtown you’ve ever seen. Get this, we have an authentic English tearoom, an antique mall and a straight from Pleasantville vacuum-repair store. We love the smalltown feel with all the big city amenities. We also love the outdoors and that we can happen upon an avocado farm or people horseback riding within a five-minute walk. We spend our time working in the yard, hiking, going to the beach and at neighborhood events. We had strong relationships with our neighbors, who have children of many ages. We are so impressed with our neighbor’s young teen girls – they are poised, well adjusted, athletic and so well-mannered. We’ve been taking parenting tips. We are fortunate our community has a slew of walking trials, parks, a pool and community center. We enjoy being out there with our neighborly friends. We were very touched that Will’s parents decided to move just a half-hour away a year ago. Having family close by means so much when we enjoy our holiday traditions, like Christmas eve sunsets on the beach. Richard’s mother was adopted in the 1960s, the great baby swoop. It was a closed adoption – so much to the point that she didn’t find her biological mother until adulthood, and completely on her own. We recognize the negativity this created and are so glad that the baby swoop is over. Choice is important; communication is paramount. We, and she maintain a strong relationship with her biological mother and her adopted family. Each have value to her; but the process back then left a lot to be desired. We look forward to openness and connection. Richard is the life of everything. He is empathetic, laid back and a friend to every living thing. We fell for each other as friends; it was the weekend we lost my grandmother that our hearts grew close. We are still best friends. He has a large and diverse family, with a brother, half-brother, step-brother and a strong network of close cousins. He has an engineering degree and a strong career - he is so smart. But he is driven by his heart. Richard gardens and raises butterflies; he talks to his plants and delivers extra crops of kale to the neighbors. He can’t stand to see anything hurt or to go to waste. He has so much love and kindness to share. Will is is fiercely loyal and defending of his friends and family. When life seems to throw you endless challenges and trials, and you need someone in your corner to help you through it, he’s the one you want by your side. Diversity and inclusion are some of his core values that he has taken with him as he is given increasing authority and responsibility at his job. He makes sure to give his platform both at work and in his personal life to those who may not have had the chance before. He is driven, yet compassionate, and wants everyone in his circle to reach their full potential. He fully embraces life, from road trips with his family as a kid, to taking advantage of nature with walks and hikes. That combination of structure, support, motivation, and dedication would extend to any future member of our family, helping them to grow and evolve. Relationships mean everything to us. We keep our family’s our neighbors, and our friends close; whether this means hosting them for weekends to sightsee in San Diego or visiting their amazing locales. We appreciate the beautiful tapestry made up of our people and our lives. The people that have touched us, and that will come to touch us, add to that tapestry - whether in background, tradition or spirituality. We have few hangups when it comes to appreciating the beauty of people. We look forward to building what will be the strongest connection in our lives. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We’d love to tell you more. Will and Richard Cannon

Richard & Will