Dear Sons,
Your dad could not wait to have you long before you were born. He dreamt of having sons to carry his name.
The day you were born there was this certain radiant, smile that came across his face when he looked at you.
It has never left.
I never had to ask him to hold you, change your diapers, or bathe you. Every.single.bit. of it came natural to him. We fought over who was going to give you your first “real” bath, so we agreed to share in it.
We fought over who was going to comb your hair.
Neither of you had any hair to comb.
He swaddled you better than me. He knew just how to fold the blanket to make you perfectly wrapped tight. He tried to teach me, I never did get it right.
Your first birthday? He was right there with me at the party supply store helping pick out every decoration. We argued over who could string the streamers the best.
He won.
Martha had nothing on him in cake decorating. He spent hours making your cakes flawlessly, yummy. And your favorite character of the time was always perfectly frosted on top.
Your dad was so eager and excited to celebrate your birthdays.
Because celebrating you has always been his favorite thing to do.
I don’t know how many times I watched him sit on the floor with you and play with your gabillion match box cars. And I don’t know how many times you asked “what kind of car is this daddy?
And now one of you is driving him around. And it’s so crazy. And we both are watching you grow into men and we are praying we did some things right. We are praying we gave you tools for living, even through all the messing up we did.
Do you know what has always been the best part of your dad’s day?
Coming home to you.
Coming home to ask how your day went. Teasing you about the pretty girl you’ve been talking to, asking how did basketball practice go? Or what did you get on your math test?
Your dad is the hardest worker I know. The getting up so early, driving a long way to work, working in a hot factory all day, doing the long drive again, and then coming home to his family and still pouring himself out. I know you both know this. But do you know, REALLY know whom he does it all for?
YOU.
How in the world does one man have the strength to lay down his life for others?
Only through His Heavenly Father he would tell you.
Don’t ever mistake your dad for being too soft because he did things that many men wouldn’t do. It’s just been your father’s absolute joy to parent you. He has delighted in teaching, molding, and loving you.
His biggest prayer for you? That you would know not just on Father’s Day but, every day, as much as your father has loved you, your heavenly Father loves you even more.
That He has celebrated your birth, your birthdays, your milestones, your joys, your heartbreaks, right alongside with us. His love is perfect. His parenting is perfect. He will never leave you, nor forsake you.
Always remember boys– real men lay their lives down for others. Even when it’s hard, even when it hurts, even when they’re exhausted, even when life beats them up, even when it’s not deserved, even when it bleeds.
Hug your dad today boys. Squeeze him tight. And say thank you to him by continuing to become the men he has taught you how to be.
Holly Noel 