Today my stepdad had a procedure performed to correct the atrial fibrillation in his heart. Before I say anything else, I will end the suspense and tell you that the procedure was successful and he is now home and resting. So as I’ve worried about him all week, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on what he means to me. My stepdad is my hero. He is the epitome of what it means to be a man. He provides, he gives, he loves, he teaches, he counsels, and he loves my mom. And he expects nothing in return. When my mom started dating him when I was 7, I didn’t like him. In fact, I was a kind of a twerp for the first few years they were together. I even tried to throw out the roses he brought my mom once, but my babysitter wouldn’t let me. Over the years, I realized he wasn’t so bad. He was the one who took me to Denver Nuggets games, Bandimere Speedway, car shows, and took me to my first few concerts: Janet Jackson, Color Me Badd and Boyz II Men, and my very favorite, Paula Abdul. He paid for my now-straight teeth, bought me my first car, watched me graduate from college with a degree in what I love (English), and walked me down the aisle on the most important day of my life. But it’s not about the things. It’s about the love behind them and the woman he has and continues to help me become. We didn’t always see eye to eye, and we had a rough go of it when he first married my mom and entered my life with her. But I know that God put him in our lives on purpose, and I am forever blessed to have him in my life.
The point of all this is that it’s important to stop sometimes and reflect on what/whom you have in your life. I’ve poured my heart out to my stepdad many times before. I think he knows how I feel, whether I’ve told him in person or in a card. So, as my boyfriend John Mayer puts it,
Even if your hands are shakin’
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closin’
Do it with a heart wide open
A wide heart
Say what you need to say
Don’t be afraid to tell someone what they mean to you. Life is short. Who cares if you get all choked up and have trouble getting the words out? Do it for the other person. Validate them and increase the frequency level with which they vibrate on this earth. I’ve already shared this with my stepdad in a card I gave to him, but I’ll share it with you, too, so you know just how awesome he is.
The Top 5 Lessons I’ve Learned From My Stepdad:
5. Family is important, even if they’re not related by blood.
4. Never give up on the one you love.
3. Love God, and going to church helps, too.
2. Do what you love.
1. The depth of his desire to give is in direct proportion to the enormity of his heart.
I love you, Joe!
Copyright © 2011 My Life as a Puddle
