To the One Who Helped Shape the Woman That I Am Today...

Jun 21, 2021
4 min read

"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." -Proverbs 22:6

To the one who knows how to wear a mustache, a beard, all mannerisms of camouflage, any that, plaid, wool socks and long sleeves in the middle of summer even at the beach;

To the great mind who knows how to win every game, to spell every word, who can

come up with the answer to any mathematical equation before someone else can type it into a calculator, who if for some reason doesn’t know the answer will figure it out,

To the outdoorsman who loves nature and has passed down a love for nature and wonder of creation, who can be found just walking around the yard, who sits with his bees during all seasons, who can catch all the critters, grow all kinds of plants, can name every tree, rock, and flower, who can free most any lure stuck in a tree, who hiked Philmont twice, once in his late 40’s with Travis and again in when he was 61 with David for Boy Scouts, who can describe every bird down to their feathers, habitat, calls, food, and even migration patterns,

To the strong man that enjoys a good Pepsi, who “was older then but is younger now,”

who has beat all kinds and degrees of skin cancer, lived through intensive kidney stones and decades of migraines, who, though he is 71, still climbs trees to cut them down, hops on the roof to fix the gutters, helps build a swing set, who splits and stacks wood,

To the hard worker, who worked his entire life to provide for his family, to give them opportunities and the things they needed, who has always been an example of pushing through, working hard, even when times are tough, and shows the value of integrity throughout all seasons of life, who honors the legacy passed down to him and imparts it to his children and grandchildren,

To the guy who steps up to the plate in so many ways from mechanic to coach, teacher to Nurse Santa, Papaw Gary to Grandaddy,

To that Grandaddy and Papaw Gary that has the best “Gwandaddy honey,” who takes all the kids fishing, picks them up “by their ears,” who is the most called upon for pushing kids on the swing, who lends out his binoculars, who will help not just get the best candy but ALL the candy at a Christmas parade, who is the "De Wuller-De-Wust," who can “getchy goo” all the babies feet, and is the best spot for all tired little ones to curl up for a good nap,

To the driver who is “number one,” and drives all kinds of miles to be there for each of his kiddos, young and old, near and far.

To the father who is so proud of his kids in all corners of the world,

To the provider who continues to fight for his children, their spouses, and all his grandchildren no matter the situation, conditions, or problems;

To the storyteller who sure can tell a story, who “doesn’t do silly,” but has the best grin and a boisterous laugh,

To the parent that never stops giving, who loves fiercely in his own quiet way, who shares his knowledge freely with anyone willing to learn, who sets an example for his children, who has rooted his family in a solid godly foundation,

To the Daddy who took me huntin as a young child and always told me what a good job I was doing and then handed me some candy to "keep the woods quiet", who coached my softball teams and taught me how to pitch, who came to all my soccer, basketball, and softball games, as well as all my cross country meets and dance recitals, who was so proud of me getting the highest score, a 4, on the state writing test in fourth grade, who supported me throughout school and becoming a teacher, who went hiking and camping with me, who took me in when I, as an adult, was at deaths door, who wakes me up early so I can sit outside to watch the birds with him or tells me to get my camera quick to snap a good shot of nature, who gets excited with me when we see deer in the backyard, who discusses politics with me, who teaches me all about gardening, who drives my old Subaru without air conditioning in the summer packed full of all I own including Daisy across the country by himself to move me back home to North Carolina, who takes care of my precious dog when she was dying and I was too sick to walk, who helps me try to understand things with all my questions, who held me when my best friend died, who is patient with me when I am feeling poorly and can't get out of the house on time or takes me to the ER on his birthday, who, this year, 2021, drove me to Washington D.C., on his birthday for an Appointment with my Lyme specialist, who brings me half dead flowers when I am severely sick, puts them on the back porch, doesn’t say anything till I ask where they came from, and says, “Oh, yeah I got those for you. I thought they would be nice color for you to look out the window to see, that we could bring back to life” or stays up till 2 AM to wait until my IV bags are done.

To the man I look up to and call Dad, that even as I write this brings tears to my eyes. I am truly so grateful for you. I never want to know life without you. I pray the one day my kids will get to know your wealth of knowledge, provision, and love.

Thank you for helping shape me to be the woman that I am today.