I haven't been feeling well today- I went for a drive while hungry which makes me nauseated. I then got a headache at home and now my throat is hurting along with the back of my head.
I've been wanting to write, about Father's Day in particular, but I didn't know what to write about.
A few minutes ago I was reading my son some bedtime stories and as I put him to bed it occurred to me that I should write about his father.
This post is inspired by a woman who wrote a letter like this to her son.
Boaz, Let Me Tell You About Your Dad,
I remember the night we picked out your name. We were lying in bed and joking around about names like Jehoshaphat, Nebuchadnezzar and things like that. In the spirit of the moment I laughingly suggested Boaz and we both paused. In my mind it sounded funny but out loud it sounded... dope.
Your dad said, 'I kind of like that,'
I said, 'me too,'
and he said, 'what about a middle name?'
We picked a middle name out and your whole name was perfect. That was it.
You didn't even exist yet. I wouldn't be pregnant with you for at least another year.
When I finally was pregnant, we knew we wouldn't find out the gender, but we called you 'little Boaz' anyway.
When you were finally born and we got a good look at you there was no question that you have your father's face and that perfect middle name changed to your father's first name, Michael.
I love your name, not just because it sounds cool but because of what it means: By strength, and then Michael: who is like God?
The first thing you should know is that your father prays. He prays all the time. Prayer is a very personal thing to him. He never prayed out loud until he and I got married. My prayer life changed when I met him. He was the one who taught me to pray way down to the nitty gritty. In every situation we've been in, his reaction has always been to pray first. Mine is usually to freak out then read a Psalm to calm down. Your father always prays. It's not something you see, but it's there.
One of the things I love about your father is he is grounded. He knows who he is and what he believes.
He cannot be manipulated but he is readily able to learn from his mistakes and grow into the man he needs to be for you. His mind is strong in what's right and that's what dictates the choices he makes.
He is not fooled by false doctrine and he is not fooled by false teachers. He stands steadily on what the bible says.
He is not swayed by peer pressure. He knows what he likes, what he wants, and how he wants it.
He likes the simple things. Right now he is playing a video game while I sit here typing. The TV he is playing on was a birthday gift to me from some family members. He always says it's, 'the greatest TV ever'. It makes me laugh because it's not the biggest TV, it's not super technical HD or anything, but it's the nicest TV we'll probably ever have and your father is grateful for it.
He never needs a lot- he likes his steak with just salt and pepper on it. He likes his burger meat with just salt and pepper in it. He never has to have brand name things because he just doesn't care. The only time he ever talks about new clothes is when his current ones are worn down. Nothing needs to be fancy as long as it works right. That goes for everything. Recently someone was talking to him about aspiring to be rich, he responded that he doesn't want to be rich, he just wants to be able to provide for his family.
For as long as I've known him he's always just been thankful- thankful for whatever he's had in whatever situation. He always appreciates things and he always expresses it. I know I am blessed here because I'm sure there are women out there who's husbands don't tell them they love them throughout the day or compliment them on things or even notice how hard they work.
You won't know this until you're older but he is always telling you the things he loves about you, 'you're a cute little boy, Bo' he says. You bring a lot of delight to him and he likes to bring delight to you.
He is self sacrificing. He does what it takes to get the job done. He works hard. Not many people realize the pain he is in sometimes. His job now- and the one before- have taken their toll on him. Still, he works hard, he does things right, he is diligent.
Your father is logical to a fault. While most of us look at things from a mixture of logic and emotion, he looks at everything with plain logic. He takes everything said to their logical conclusion and throws it out if its unreasonable. It can be frustrating sometimes but then you finally realize that this way of handling things takes you right to the heart of every matter. You are able to weigh your thoughts and actions objectively. You're able to see through yourself right to your motivation. This kills %99 of the 'fluff' that's in you. This is likely why your father is so grounded: he doesn't mess with things that aren't logical or biblically founded.
All that being said, don't get into an argument with him. Just don't. Don't even think about it. You'll lose and lose miserably.
He is a gentle giant. One thing he does not know is how intimidating he is. He is very tall and has serious eyes but he does not realize how this comes across to those of us who are shorter.
He has never used his size aggressively. He is gentle. Very gentle. More gentle than I am.
He doesn't hurt people. At least not on purpose. His honestly and straightforwardness can sting sometimes but it does not come from maliciousness. When he is straightforward with you, it means he trusts that you will take it right. He doesn't take the sword out on just anyone. He does not talk about something with someone if he can't be transparent with them about it.
He is forgiving. I don't think he's capable of holding a grudge. Someone said something downright rude to him not long ago. He told me about it and it made me angry. Your father simply said, 'I'm dropping it' and that was all. It took me longer to let it go and I wasn't even there to witness it.
He doesn't bring up the past. He doesn't say 'you always...' unless it's a serious problem. He lets things go and moves forward.
He loves to drive. I think all men do and your father is no exception. He likes going on little road trips and often takes the 'scenic route'. He likes the word 'bucolic' and I think he sets out to find bucolic drives. We have an epic family road trip planned, Lord willing, for when you get older.
He loves juice, cereal, sourdough, coffee, barbecuing, pizza, nectarines, blueberries, spartan and macintosh apples (but he's picky about them, mind you), and ice cream. He loves reading and will read all day if you let him. He is very silly. He is a good writer- something not many people know about him. He wants to keep bees. He love love loves golfing. He's peaceful, he doesn't like things disrupting the peace of our home.
He often talks about things that will make him a good father. He wants to instruct you in the ways that are right. He wants you to be saved and in the will of God. It means the most to him to encourage you in your relationship with God; he doesn't want to hinder it by hypocrisy.
There you are, Bo, just some things about your dad. There is a lot more to him then this but these are the things that stick out to me after close to six years of marriage.
God blessed you with a good daddy, Bo.
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