Happy Birthday Daddy

My Beautiful Baby Boy,

Today is Daddy's birthday. I wish you were here to make it the perfect day for him, but I'll do my best to make it as special as possible. I guess your daddy has rubbed off on me, because I've already given him his birthday presents. I bought him a new set of golf clubs in March so that he would be able to enjoy them all season. I wish you could have seen his face light up. It was one of the biggest and most genuine smiles I'd seen on his face since we'd said goodbye to you. I think a tiny part of my heart healed that day, and I would have gladly paid 10 times what those clubs cost to see Daddy smile the way he did when he was loading them into the car.

When we got engaged, Daddy wanted to get married on February 12th. He said that since my birthday was February 10th, and Valentine's Day was February 14th, getting married on the 12th would allow him to get all of his shopping done at one time. It's funny, because we ended up getting married just two days after his birthday instead. On Saturday, we'll celebrate 6 years of marriage. Like all married couples, we've had our moments, but these have been the best 6 years of my life. A quote I heard on TV the other day says it pretty well, "There is no such thing as perfect, but there can be wonderful." I wouldn't take back any of the time we've had together, not even this year. This year is cemented in my heart as the year that your daddy and I proved we have a love strong enough to weather hell on earth.

Daddy is truly my best friend. On my toughest days, hearing his voice can make all the difference in the world. There are so many things about him that I love, and I often wonder which of his qualities and traits you would have inherited and which of his habits would have become yours.  These are my favorite things about Daddy, and the things I most hope you would have mimicked one day:

• He tells me "I love you" and "You are beautiful", and he tells me those things every day. Every. Single. Day. More than once. And when he says them, they aren't just words. He wraps me in his arms, his voice changes, his eyes sparkle, and it is so very clear that he means them.
• Daddy is such a hard worker, and he is a loyal employee. He loves his job, and he is good at it. He takes pride in his work. He is a team player. If he sees something that needs to be done, even if that something isn't really his job, he is going to do it. He doesn't complain when he gets calls or has to go into work after hours or on the weekend. I've seen him time and time again step in to handle something that wasn't his responsibility and that didn't benefit him personally just because it was the right thing to do for his company. 
• Your daddy has a good heart. Just the other evening, I wondered what was taking Daddy so long to come inside from mowing. I peaked my head out the back door to find him mowing our neighbor's yard. Daddy is always willing to lend a helping hand to a friend or neighbor.
• He makes me laugh. A lot. 
• Daddy encourages me to do things I don't think I can do. He brags about my accomplishments to other people. He believes in me, and that makes me want to believe in myself.
• Your daddy would give me the world if it would make me happy. He reminds me of your great grandfather in that way. Papaw has always gone to great lengths to make Mamaw happy with things he knows she wants but probably doesn't need. I remember all the times Mamaw excitedly showed off something Papaw gave her or did for her. Her huge smile and the love I saw between them in those moments is one of my favorite childhood memories. I know it breaks Daddy's heart to know that the one thing I want more than anything he can't give me.
• Your daddy is an amazing father, and he loves you with his entire heart. Oh, how I wish that you had been able to look in his eyes so that you could have seen that love for yourself. In just a split second, you would have known that you were his whole world. A love like that is powerful though, so I have to believe that you can feel it from heaven.

The other night, Daddy and I were getting into bed, and I snuggled up next to him holding your blanket like I have every night for the past four months. A thought occurred to me, and I asked Daddy if he thought I'd still be sleeping with your blanket when I was 75.  He got really quiet for a moment, and then he replied, "I don't know...but I hope so."  And that is reason #14,356 why I love your daddy.

Love,

Mommy

Our Wedding Day

June 13, 2009

Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Rankin

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