Birthday Letter!

{This Thursday (August 1st), Dad celebrated 30 years at State Farm.  And today is his 60th Birthday!!  Rach had the idea of putting together a scrapbook of pictures and letters from important people in Dad's life... Mom and I have helped her work on it the last couple weekends, and it's turned out really nice!  I so loved reading all the letters, and enjoyed writing my own as well.  Today should be great all around -- lunch with his side of the family; a fun action movie (2 Guns); then dinner and cake with the Wallaces, Lemieux's, and Minnichs!  Get excited!! ;-)  Anyway, the following is my letter for the book + a few happy pictures.}

Dad,

Happy 60th Birthday!!!

I love you very much, and I’m thankful that God chose you to be my Dad!  You are a loving, wise, patient, peaceful, optimistic, faithful, helpful, and generous man of integrity… and experiencing that in my childhood has encouraged me to grow in those qualities and has strengthened my view of God as a Father!  Your personal walk with God and commitment to seeking Him in your business and life decisions has had a great impact on our family.  And because of your heart for God and your generosity, God has seen fit to bless you, your business, and your family in awesome ways! :)  The way you value loyalty, kindness, and service has helped to shape my own ‘core values,’ and I’m thankful for that.  I really appreciate that you have always loved through actions rather than empty words – through an endless number of small acts of service (vacuuming, laundry, dishes, yard work – even at my house in Jenks, washing and putting gas in our cars, taking care of tax paperwork, curbside service, bringing us dinner, babysitting and playing with the grandkids, etc.) and that you always do these things without complaining or expecting anything in return.  So THANK YOU for all you do for our family… for being a man who seeks God… and for providing everything we need and generously giving us most everything we could ever want!!

The vast majority of my childhood memories are idyllic.  You have always been really great with kids, and that certainly included me and Rachael!  You did your best to make us feel that we were beautiful and loved and important – that mattered more than the nice house and the backyard pool and swing set and all the toys – but that stuff was pretty great too! ;-)  You always knew how to make us laugh and have fun – playing Timmy and Tommy tiger, chasing us around, playing ‘Rocket Ship,’ playing in the sprinklers, coming out to swim with us, etc.!  You read us Bible stories and fun children’s books before bedtime, took us to church every Sunday, and made the costly decision to send us to a Christian school (which I know had a great impact on my spiritual life, education, and friendship choices)!  You have truly been the leader and spiritual leader of our home.  Rach and I knew that you meant business and you would discipline us when necessary, but there was never an unhealthy fear of you losing your temper or flipping out about something minor, and I’m so very grateful for that!  You were stable and levelheaded, and your love for us was never in question.

I will remember you coaching Rach and I and our friends on the Youth in Action basketball teams and practicing with us in the backyard.  I will remember you buying Kelsey for us when we begged for a dog and then taking great care of her (even though Rach and I had assured you we’d do all the work)!  I will remember hosting several family get-togethers, cookouts, swim parties, and holiday celebrations at our house!  I will remember chocolate cakes and birthdays and great cards that said you were proud of me!  I will remember hearing Charles Stanley and the Gaithers on TV.  I will remember all the SuperBowl Parties and laughter and fun times with the Wallaces, the Lemieux’s, and the Minnichs!  I will remember a lot of awesome family road trips (with stops including Hollywood, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Disney World, Lake Tahoe, and the Grand Canyon)! :)  I will remember watching Yankee Doodle Dandy on the 4th of July and White Christmas on Christmas Eve. 

I will remember you patiently teaching me to play golf and buying me golf clubs, shoes, etc. during my Junior year of high school.  I will remember you helping me move into my OBU dorm, then back home, then to my apartment, and finally to my house in Jenks!  I will remember you buying me the red Lexus convertible on Valentine’s Day in 2006!  I will remember you hugging and comforting me when I was overwhelmed and crying over a broken friendship in 2007!  I will remember the way you diligently took care of Mom after the wreck in 2011, never even complaining about your own injuries.  I will remember going to the movies with you; watching Triston, Carter, and Jace light up when they see you; and seeing you smile and greet me at the Midwest City LifeChurch door every weekend when I come home!  And I will remember a great number of unexpected, generous gifts. But most importantly, I will remember feeling valued and loved by my Dad!

I know that you did not have this same experience with your own father, and I’m sorry for that.  Rather than copying the selfishness, deception, fear, and bad decisions you witnessed, you chose to follow God and create your own path while still honoring your dad.  You give openly rather than hoarding your money, you are involved in our lives and what is important to us, you don’t let fear control your decisions, and you care far more about your family than your job!  Thank you for being there and letting us know that we matter to you.  You rarely talk about the hard things in your past, but I know you have experienced the death of both parents as well as a painful divorce.  Thank you for setting an example that we can take responsibility, choose our own course, and do what is right even when it’s difficult.  I really wish I had had the opportunity to meet your mother.  I look forward to knowing her in heaven, and I believe that she’s proudly cheering you on as she watches your life unfold here on earth!

Your catchphrase and favorite saying has been “Attitude is Everything,” and you live it out by staying happy and peaceful regardless of what’s going on.  You are good at keeping the peace when someone gets irrationally upset about an insurance claim or whatever else.  You are trustworthy and humble enough to admit your mistakes, which are few and far between.  And you remind us that although we cannot always choose what happens to us, we can choose how we react to every situation! 

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”  I believe that you have a respected name among your family, friends, church, staff, bosses, and clients.  I know that many people trust you and highly esteem and value your influence, support, friendship, discernment, and Godly advice!  You have been financially blessed as well, but I believe you would choose the good name over the great riches, which is rare, and I love that about you – (and I’m sure God does too)!

Thank you for being a wonderful Dad to me and Rachael; a faithful husband to Mom; a great Father-in-Law to Josh; and a fun-loving Grandad to Triston, Carter, and Jace!  I love you so very much and I pray that this will be a great, memorable, Happy Birthday for you!!

Love you,