Happy Father's Day!

A decade ago, just before Father's Day, my own father left this mortal life. My father was not the best example, but he had a constant love for his children. I was one of the blessed children as I was his baby girl for quite some time. I was able to hear his real feelings about my siblings and how he wished he had been a better father. I have always been grateful that my future husband was able to meet my father before he passed.

I am not exaggerating when I say that my husband is a champion! We are not the same. Surprise! We often don't think, react, or enjoy the same things. Yet, despite the obvious differences, we are super compatible in the most important ways. We have similar goals, standards, and desires out of life. When we were dating, I didn't have very many opportunities to see him interact with children. He had one niece at the time and was/is a balloon artist. So, I made some assumptions made about how he would interact with our future children - if we were blessed with such a responsibility. Well, we were blessed with a baby boy 2 1/2 years after our marriage. Every morning that Riley didn't have work he would take our son, who fed every 3 hours like clock work, into the front room and let me rest. He didn't just take the baby, but he sang to him, played his guitar for him, changed his diaper, snuggled him, and probably gave him all types of fatherly advice.

We have had many conversations about the miracle of babies. The fact that a child can form despite all of the barriers a woman's body has in place is a miracle to us. Birth is a rather scary adventure as well. Any child who makes it that far is really a trooper. After that, you can only hope for the safety of their every moment in life. Seriously, so much can go wrong. Yikes! This sounds scary and sad, but opening my perspective to the bigger picture is helpful in carrying on.

Riley has proven to be an intelligent, caring, and playful father to all 4 of our children. He enjoys sharing his childhood favorites with them and supports them in their accomplishments. I know he is not alone in conquering this great role. I rejoice in all men who are able to take responsibility for their posterity and find joy in it. May you have a blessed week as you contemplate the father-like roles of those around you. I can name many men who influenced the way I imagined a father should be. I am grateful everyday for them.

Happy Father's Day & Happy Future Father's Day!