I think
about what a wonderful Daddy Chris is every single day. I wonder if our kids
realize how blessed they are to have him as their Daddy. For Father’s Day I
wanted to let him know just how special he is and what better way to do that
then tell him some of my favorite things about him that I hope our kids will
learn from him. So here are a few… written for our children.
1. How to treat a lady and how a lady
should be treated
I met your Daddy when I was just 15 years old and in 10th
grade. He was 16 and in the 11th grade. That means we have known
each other for almost 15 years. He has treated me with respect and always done
his best to take care of me all those years. We make mistakes and sometimes get
mad at each other or have little arguments, but he has never been disrespectful
to me. My prayer for you, Wyatt, is that you always do the same and one day
treat your wife just as well. My prayer for you, Kenley, is that you find a guy
just like your Daddy that will make you feel special every day of your life with
him.
2. How to treat others
Daddy cares about other people. He puts others before himself. I will
always remember this “story” from when we were in high school, although I’ve
told Daddy about it and he doesn’t remember. He was walking me to class one day
and there was another guy walking in the hall by himself. He was not a popular
kid and most people weren’t very nice to him. Anyways, as we walked passed him
he was singing (not too loud, but loud enough) the song Sweet Home Alabama.
Daddy looked at me smiled and said “good song.” I knew that most people would
have made a sarcastic remark or made fun of the boy, but not Daddy. I can still
picture this whole thing, because it meant a lot to me. Daddy doesn’t remember
because that’s just how he is.
3. To always be honest with yourself and
others
First of all, you will soon learn that Mommy is a pretty darn good
interrogator and detective and can tell when people are lying. So don’t ever
try it. It won’t work. J But your Daddy will tell you and so will all your grandparents
– he wasn’t a perfect teenager. He made mistakes at times. Everyone does. But
let me tell you the most important difference between Daddy and some other
people. He is honest. No matter what the consequences have ever been, Daddy
always told the truth. He knew when he messed up, and he accepted those
consequences. Even when Daddy tells you little things he’s going to do with you
(take you for a walk, play a game, etc.) he always does what he says. You can
always trust him.
4. To stand up for what is right and
what you believe in
When your Daddy was 18, he made the decision to become a Marine. That was
something he always wanted to do, but I know it had to be scary. In 2001, when
the Twin Towers in New York City were attacked, that day I knew that eventually Daddy would be going to war. We were young and war
wasn’t something we thought about much, but we knew something was going to
happen and Daddy had made the decision to defend our country. Well the time did
eventually come that your Daddy had to go to war. The day he returned home they
needed volunteers to sign up to go again and without hesitating your Daddy
raised his hand. There are so many stories in between all of this, but the
point is Daddy believed in defending our country AND defending a country that
needed our help. He always told me he felt called to do it, he was honored to
do it, and that he believed in the mission.
5. How to lead a household
Daddy is good at this. We work as a team, but each of us has different
strengths and that’s what makes our marriage and our family work. Daddy is a
great leader. He works hard every day for us. He is always working towards
whatever is best for our family. We pray over our decisions and what’s best for
us. One of our biggest decisions after having children was Mommy staying home.
It was a dream of mine, but we weren’t sure it was a good decision for us
financially. Daddy spent a lot of time managing our budget, getting debt paid
off, and doing everything possible to make it happen. After a lot of prayer and
the changes we had made it seemed to be a good option. I am so grateful that
Daddy supported what I wanted and helped make it happen.
6. How to have fun
Your Daddy is so fun. We’ve known each other 15 years and been married
for almost 6 and he still makes me laugh. He makes you laugh every day, too, so
I know you get this one!
7. How to say I’m sorry
Mommy and Daddy don’t always agree and sometimes we argue. Sometimes it’s
my fault, sometimes it’s his, and sometimes it’s not anyone’s fault (we just
have different opinions). No matter what, we work very hard at communicating
and sometimes walking away from the argument until we are both ready to work it
out. But we always work it out one way or another. Being able to say “sorry”
when you’ve been wrong is not always easy, but when it’s the right thing to do
your Daddy does it. You will learn that a simple “sorry” can go a long way.
8. How to be a Christ follower
Mommy and Daddy are always learning from the Bible, asking questions, and
finding ways to grow in our faith as a family. Daddy is a great example to you
on how to live your life. He reads his Bible daily, prays over decisions and
for us, and is always learning more. I hope that as you become leaders (of
anything – your family, sports, careers, anything) you will always put God
first and do your very best to serve Him and pray for guidance. Sometimes the
answers are clear, sometimes they are scary, sometimes they take a long time to
present themselves, but faith will take you a long way.
So, there
are just a few of the things I hope you learn from your Daddy. He loves you
with all his heart and he shows it every day. The most precious thing for Mommy
to watch is the time he spends with you. His smile is never greater than when
he’s with you. I’m so blessed to have him as my husband, but I’m even more
blessed to be raising you with him.
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