Mind. BLOWN!

Sorry for those loyal readers... I've been trying to decide on a day of the week that I could devote to blogging regularly, but haven't had the time yet.  Today's post isn't really going to be about me though... it's going to be about a man.  A TRUE MAN!

See, my whole life has been littered with "men" who come and go and leave pieces of my life scattered among the debris.  There are a few exceptions... my brother, granpa, and my brother-in-law.   I know many people don't know the story of my life... but there has been a spattering of my own dad, step-dad's and my own husbands (yes plural) that have just left my life in shambles.  I have clung to that father figure... craving something, some sort of approval from a man I looked up to - for my whole life.  My granpa has been a father to me my whole life... he was always there, but there's something about having a dad... a real dad or a husband/boyfriend who I can be my best for... show all the things my mom taught me.

My mom is an amazing lady... growing up she worked for her parents and herself to make the kind of income she needed to support a family of 4 with no support coming from any of the dads that helped to make those children.   She worked hard.  Harder than I ever knew humans had the capacity for.  She was up every morning helping us kids get ready for school and dropped each one of us off at our day care or school.  My sister is 6 years older than me and my brother is 4.5 years younger than me... so yeah, we all had different places to go while my mom worked.  But she was always home at 530 to make a good dinner for us (and when I say good dinner, I mean, GOOD dinner... nothing ever touched a microwave in my house... everything was homemade and from scratch.), take us to our sports or whatever activity we needed to go to that evening, or just relax for a few minutes after dinner and before putting us to bed.  She would spend her hard earned money on clothes for us instead of getting anything new for herself.  She was a selfless wonder to be in awe of.  I'd never seen anyone quite like her... I thought my mom was an anomaly amongst the masses... a unicorn of sorts.

Until I met Boedy.  Single dad extraordinaire!

Boedy continually blows me away.  He's the man version of my mom.  He is a full time father of two... he has full custody of his two beautiful children and he works so hard to provide for them and be at their beck and call.  He reminds me of my mom.  Last night, I watched him get off of work, pick up his kids before they went to go to their mom's for the night, mow - not only my yard, but my neighbors yard, go drop the kids off at their mom's, go and help his brother coach little girls softball, come back to my house, finish mowing, iron clothes for his business trip to Tulsa, shower, and go to bed (not before he told me he was going to bed and gave me a kiss!  I gladly followed him so I could cuddle!).   He's a machine.  But he doesn't see how amazing all of that is to me.  It makes me appreciate my mom even more than I did before.  I knew she sacrificed, but she never let us kids know the depths of it.  Watching Boedy and spending time with him, I know what she went through.  And it takes a person with GOD given strength to keep going like they do.

Boedy is honest, trustworthy, selfless, caring, generous, and loving... all things I see in my mom.  You know they say girls always marry someone like their dad... well I made that mistake - TWICE.  So now, I've decided to be with someone like my mom... (that's not supposed to sound awkward) but it's true.  Boedy has the same qualities I've always admired about my mom.  Every time I look at him, I'm in complete awe of how he keeps going and doesn't ever complain.  He even conquers those daily things of his own life and then puts up with me and my bad days or moods.  I feel selfish after I realize that this man has already given his 300% but I'm whining about my 110%.  He's a lot like my granpa too... the unconditional love he shows me day in and day out... the countless hours he devotes to everything... the effort he puts into getting things done around my house without hesitation.  and I never ask for it.  He just jumps right in.

This post is for you babe!  The MAN, the father, the best friend, the loving boyfriend, the coach, the date to his daughter at the dance... the one who melts my heart!  I love you honey!!

{lou}