When I was born into my family my parents didn’t know they had given birth to a very strong-willed and independent female. Those traits have served me well as I was born right in the middle of four amazing brothers. Being the only girl for a long time in our family, I had to gain some skills. So, whenever an opportunity presented a challenge, I tried to rise up to it!
On one of our family trips that my father had taken for business, we were staying in a hotel, and we all wanted to go swimming because it was blazing hot outside and the water looked so good and so refreshing and so inviting! I didn’t know how to swim, so for a while I sat on the end just dangling my feet and tried to enjoy the sunshine. But my disposition got the better of me that day, and as I saw others jumping in and splashing around and having a great time I thought, “Why can’t I do the very same thing?” So after a couple more minutes of thinking about it, I decided the best plan would be to just jump right into the water and go for it! I’ll never forget the feeling of jumping up in the air and feeling myself falling right into this beautiful cool refreshing pool! My joy lasted only a few seconds, though, because as I reached the surface of the pool, I realized I didn’t know how to keep myself above water. I splashed around a little bit, but soon found myself sinking to the very bottom of the pool with no idea of how to get myself back to the surface! Panic started to set in, but I was holding my breath, and I’m not sure how much time went by, but after a bit I started to see black come in around me. My vision just kept getting darker and darker. I felt the panic set in and a definite sense of dread. The only thing I knew how to do was just cry out in my heart to God and ask for some sort of rescue. I’m not sure how long it was, but very shortly after I had said ”amen,” a very large hand reached through the pool water and that was the only thing I could see. So, I reached for it and grabbed hold of that hand. That hand turned out to be connected to a strong arm which connected itself to my very brave and courageous father. I’ve never been so grateful to have had that extra strength to pull me up as I was right then in my young life, thereafter, to be encircled by the loving arms of my father and checked out to make sure I was OK. I thought I was in really big trouble, but to my surprise my father had tears in his eyes, and both of us are grateful that day ended in a positive manner.
So many times since then life has come at me with challenges and with adversity. I am still a very determined, very independent woman, and I think my Heavenly Father knew I needed an important male role model to bless my life, so he gave me my father. I can’t count how many times his wisdom, his strength, and his gentleness of heart have blessed my life.
In this ever-fast-moving chaotic world that we live in, I hope each of the men in our lives and those that we know will realize their important worth. I hope that they will be able to rise to those challenging occasions and be a blessing to everyone that they come in contact with.
This month I pay tribute to all of the good men and fathers, because with them we are stronger, better, and more complete. We are blessed by the abilities that they have, with mindsets that they create, with protection, care, and honor in our lives.
When we honor our men, when we as men and women honor each other, we are honoring our Heavenly Father too. Honoring and using those blessings and gifts that we have and sharing them with each other is how life is meant to be. Let this month be filled with more goodness and light, and let us all find ways to lift and build each other up. You never know – we may even save a life.
