My dad’s birthday is November 5th, but I’ll be in Africa with little to no Internet access. So, this is a little early 🙂
Hero (n.)
A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his
brave deeds and noble qualities.
I’ve been a daddy’s girl for much of my life. As I type, I imagine my mom bursting into tears while reading this. Don’t worry mom, he’s not my favorite; I love you both. I don’t have favorites, just like you always told Jen and I :).
Rather than taking the tumbling or dance route as a child, I chose karate. Instead of worrying about make-up in high school, I worried about perfecting my softball swing and volleyball serve. I wasn’t exactly the girly-girl type, so I naturally spent a lot of time playing sports with my dad.
My dad is a man like no other. He’s my hero. I know without a doubt that he would move the mountains for my family if he could. Even in times when it felt as though the earth were crumbling beneath us, he has shown a strength that is indescribable; the cornerstone of the house, the pillar of the temple. I’m so blessed to have a dad that is an example of the qualities a man should possess; he’s also always the first to kindly remind me of these qualities if I introduce him to a guy that doesn’t quite measure up.
Happy Birthday Dad! I love you and miss you SO much!
Now, since my mom is probably still crying, I’ll mention both of my parents :).
I’m blessed with two amazing parents, both of whom support me in all of my passions in life. Growing up, they both traveled hours upon hours to every sporting event, cheerleading camp, and band concert (yep, I was in band and flag corp for a brief moment of my life…don’t judge me). Many of those days included rushing me from a volleyball game to a football game miles away, all so I wouldn’t miss out on cheering at the game. They could have easily told me to choose one or the other, but they didn’t; they supported me in whatever I chose to do, as long as I worked hard in everything and didn’t spread myself too thin.
Even though I had the most ridiculous birthday parties ever, they knew it was important to me that I didn’t leave anyone out; I really hope that if I have children, their hearts’ don’t desire to have a sleep-over with 20 girls….up until their senior year in high school.
In college, they desired to know why I loved Texas A&M so much. Rather than being like many parents and just listening to stories, they came to experience memories with me. Texas A&M is important to me, so it became important to them. I doubt that any parents’ desire is to watch their daughter chug a pitcher of beer while dunking an Aggie ring with a group of close friends, but it was important to me since it’s a huge Aggie tradition, so it was important to them.
They loved me when I chose not to come visit as often as I should have while I attended A&M, because I loved being in College Station and experiencing everything that I possibly could. It was important to me, so it was important to them.
They supported me when I chose to teach and coach in Hearne; even though supporting your daughter that looks 16 teaching in a Title I school is less than ideal. They listened to my frustrations from coaching and constantly receiving attitude from high-schoolers, all the while encouraging me with advice. They could have told me it was too hard, but they knew where my heart was and they knew that I could make a difference. It’s important to me, so it’s important to them.
Even when, after spending months applying for jobs and preparing for interviews, I chose to walk away from a job where I knew I was making a difference. They supported me. All because of a desire God placed in my heart as a child; all because I knew he had more for me during this season of my life. Many parents would cringe at the thought of their child walking away from a stable job to go on a journey with strangers, with little knowledge of what exactly I’d be doing, or even where I was going . And they did cringe, for a moment. But, I knew God told me to go, so they supported me.
