The Mom, Wife, Dream Life

First and foremost, Happy Father’s Day to all you Fathers and Father figures out there! Whether you have children or not, you men can still be considered father figures to many people! Today, we honor all the heroes we call Dad (Or whatever you may call your dad/father figure in your life).

Growing up, my siblings and I always made our dad a craft for Father’s Day. Some things he still has, and other things I’m sure have been tossed out. Regardless, it was something I always looked forward to doing each year with my siblings. Oftentimes, my cousins would also join us in making things for their dads as well. It was fun to get together and make crafts and heartfelt gifts for our fathers. To me, it meant more than something we could buy from the store. 

Why Are Holidays So Important For Kids?

As a kid, participation was key to understanding holidays and important dates of the year. Actively participating in that holiday or event helped us understand its importance and why we celebrate it in the first place. For example, with the Fourth of July, typically there are parades, fireworks, little get-togethers, and BBQ. With Christmas, there are traditional get-togethers, Christmas Eve parties, Christmas PJs, presents, and Santa Claus. As with any holiday, there is bound to be some kind of tradition for people and families to do, create, and achieve. Father’s Day for me as a kid was something similar. We kids always got together to make something special, unique, and sentimental for our dad. It’s something I am now implementing with my girls. I did it last year with my oldest, and this year I did it with both my girls. I’m excited to continue this tradition with my family as it grows, just as my mom did with my siblings and me.

Who is a Hero in my Life? 

When you think of a hero in your life, who do you think of? Growing up, my answer was my dad. He can attest to this, as I always looked up to him, and continue to look up to him. Now that I am older, I realize that I’ve had multiple heroes in my life, such as my mom, other family members, my husband, my husband’s family members, friends, etc. Right now, I’ll focus on my first hero, my dad. He would help anyone and everyone he came in contact with who needed help. He would give the shirt off his back if it meant someone else could stay dry from the rain. There were multiple experiences where we physically saw my dad helping individuals who got hurt, and other instances where he would tell us stories of times he lent a hand to someone in need. Those opportunities we had to actually witness my dad giving his all to make sure people were safe, taken care of, and got the help they needed were the most memorable for me.

The most vivid memory I remember was when my family and I were driving back home from a day trip to a neighboring town. If I were to guess, I’d say I was somewhere between 7 and 10 years old. It was very dark, as nighttime had set in, and there were no lights on the freeway. We were cruising along, there weren’t many cars in sight, and all of a sudden, we came up on a car parked on the side of the road, and a man was waving his flashlight across the road back and forth. We saw a shoe in the middle of the road, and my dad said out loud, “That’s a person.” Since nobody else was on the road, my dad hit the brakes and quickly backed up on the freeway to get behind the parked car. He quickly jumped out and ran up to the man, who had been waving his flashlight across the road. We sat there for a long time until an ambulance arrived and other first responders. 

Come to find out, a young girl was in a rough spot mentally and emotionally, and decided her life wasn’t worth it anymore. She ran into the freeway in front of a car, and the car so happened to be a cop car. The officer had hit her and was waving his flashlight to get someone’s attention to help, as it was in a dead spot for his radio to reach anyone, and service for phones was spotty. For those of you who don’t know, my dad works in the medical field. He is a CRNA, aka a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. It just so happened my family was driving down the road at that certain time, and my dad was able to help the girl until other medical professionals arrived. He and the cop were able to get hold of emergency services to get her the help she needed. In that exact moment, I knew my dad to be the compassionate, caring, loving, and Christlike man I knew God intended for him to be. Because of my dad’s example, I knew I wanted a man just as willing to offer a hand when needed, a man filled with Christ and the light of God. I wanted to find a man willing to put others first, no matter the situation. 

How Has my Father Been A Role Model to Me?

I thank my dad for setting the example for me, and always being willing to love and seek charity, even when it’s hard. I had high expectations when it came to dating life. I thought I knew what I wanted, but after dating a few guys, I learned, I grew, and gained more understanding of what I wanted and what I didn’t want in a man. Those guys that I dated, sure, they were good guys, but they weren’t my future. They may have been my first boyfriend, first kiss, whatever it may be, but they were not meant to be my forever companion, because what God had planned for me was greater than I thought possible. I was able to find the man of my dreams, and more, because he continues to impress me, grow with me, love me, and treat me like a queen. Ethan means the world to me, and is now one of the greatest heroes I look up to in my life.

He pushes forward harder than anyone I know. Ethan has a heart of gold, and not many people know that unless they genuinely take the chance to get to know him. Luckily for me, I took that chance and have been blessed ever since. I hope and pray to be as Christlike, as determined, and as dedicated, and as sedulous as he is. Ethan continues to surprise me with his strength as a person, both physically and spiritually. He finds ways to make me smile and laugh, even when I’m overstimulated from being home all day. He treats me like a queen by showering me with love, compliments, affection, and a life I can happily thrive in because of him and the goals we create as a couple and as a family. 

Seeing Ethan become a husband melts my heart to know that he chooses me every day. Seeing Ethan become a father has been one of the pronounced blessings in my life. He shows compassion, kindness, and immense joy towards and with our girls. He finds ways to play with them in his own way, by involving them in his daily activities, the house projects, and working in the yard. Though they aren’t old enough to fully participate and help out a whole lot, they sure do bring a smile to our faces. They remind us to take a step back and enjoy the moment.

How Has My Husband Helped Me in my Life?

One other thing I love about Ethan is that he is so good about looking ahead to the future and creating goals for our family. We are constantly talking about how we want to improve as individuals for ourselves, for one another, and for the girls. He sees the potential that we as a family can grow into. He also sees the potential that other people outside of our family have. He knows that hard work pays off, as he’s proven that time and time again with his efforts. I am grateful for the example Ethan sets for me, and especially the example he sets for our girls. I know our girls will hope and pray to have a man someday as extraordinary as their father. I know with the example Ethan is setting for them, they will find that. 

Today is a day to celebrate all the fathers and father figures in our lives. May we all reflect on the examples they have shown us and the blessings they are to each of us. I hope you can tell them thank you for helping you become the person you are today, for their love, and their support. Thank you again, fathers, dads, and all father figures, for all you do for us and for making sure we are well taken care of.

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”

McKenna Sanders

The Mom, Wife, Dream Life Blog

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