A "NEW" Day!

As I rush through my morning routines, preparing for a week away at camp with a group of elementary students, I can’t help but stop for a few minutes and write a quick entry about this “new” day!

I am so thankful that for the past eleven months I have no longer been waking up next to my best friend, but now the dad of our sweet baby boy.  Twelve years ago, I remember spending time with Jeff, shortly after we began dating. We were talking about whether or not we wanted to have kids. I shared with him my longing to be a mother some day. Not expecting it, his response was quite different. Abruptly and without explanation, he mentioned his desire to live solely with his wife, a life without kids.

At first glance, I was concerned, as this just plainly would not work out if that were the case. Investing more into the conversation, I dug a bit deeper, and quickly realized this shocking statement was coming from a place of fear and doubt. Jeff is not really one to doubt opportunities life puts in front of him. He usually faces them with a decisive “yes” or “no”. He knows his limits, and knows them well. Coming from someone who has faced a lot of setbacks, he is not one to spend much time dwelling on what he “can’t” do.

During this conversation about future parenthood, I think Jeff could not help but see the things he “couldn’t do”, but not in a pity-party kind of way, more from a concern of holding a family and child back. Well, fast forward. We are about to seal up our first year of being new parents, and Jeff has been nothing but amazing. Today we celebrate a “new” day. This day is no longer just about treating our own dads to lunch but rather a day to celebrate all God has blessed Jeff with in his many new experiences of being a dad.  

This father role brings a fresh look on life. There will be times where we have to be more creative than others in some of the musts-do’s that we as a family just can’t accomplish, but that will come in due time. Today, we celebrate fully what God has given us and today I celebrate this man that my boy calls dad.

Jeff: You are an amazing person. Thank you for setting an example for all to see, that this world is not about us. Thank you for teaching me to laugh in moments we want to cry. Thank you for humbling yourself to allow Arie the opportunity to call you dad, and to work hard to be the best father to that little boy he could ever ask for. Thank you for loving me and caring for the two of us each day, for working endless days and nights so we live comfortably and give generously to our church, friends, and family. Thank you for teaching Arie that life isn’t just about playing baseball, or swimming, or going on hikes, but more importantly seeking God’s path. Without you I would be lost, I would be selfish (okay still working on that one), I would be less patient (yep, that one too), I would be more than likely living a life for myself. But God placed you in my arms to live and learn about a unique life of servant hood. I love our early mornings while others are still sleeping, when we are up and spending time getting ready together. I love that we “need” each other in ways that not all people do. Without me I realize physically you would be stuck, but without you spiritually and emotionally I would be lost. Thank you best friend, husband, and DAD for being obedient, and teaching others how to love even through lives many surprises. It is on this “New” Day we celebrate you! I love you to the moon and back.