Right now, Freddy is lying naked on the floor. He loves being naked. Thus, when we need to get things done, we strip him naked. These days we don’t have to do much laundry.
Here’s my extremely belated Father’s Day and Mother’s Day post. Mother’s Day we enjoyed celebrating Freddy’s dedication at the Moody Church. Baby dedication (for the infant baptism folks) is when you present your baby to the congregation, and everyone commits to raising him/her in the faith. Usually it’s a quick pray and exit, but since we were the only family that day, we were invited to share a bit of the story of Freddy’s arrival (infertility, adoption, etc.). It was quite the honor! Even more fun, our parents and friends were in attendance. We finished the morning off with a yummy brunch. Definitely an awesome first Mother’s Day.
For Father’s Day, we took a Sabbath from packing and spent time lounging at home, visiting a friend and meeting old friends for dinner. Freddy made Grandpa and Dad his first craft project.
A few months ago, in cleaning out some old boxes, BB found a local Cincinnati magazine that featured his father on the cover. Before going into private law practice, Larry had a career as a police officer and federal prosecutor and no stranger to public service, volunteered as a firefighter for over 20 years. The article highlighted a time when he heard over the radio that a child in the neighborhood was choking. Larry arrived on the scene within a few minutes and saved the child’s life. There are probably dozens more stories like this one. Reading this article again, caused us to reflect on our parents and how each of them has spent at least a portion of their lives serving others.
My dad, David, serves anyone he can, whenever he can. He dutifully coached my sister’s basketball team for three years (I only remember him getting kicked out on technical fouls once or twice). He’s always the first to offer to do something for someone else, whether it’s helping them move, visiting them in the hospital or providing a listening ear. He recently taught a class at the local prison to inmates about to be released on finding and holding a job. For many years, he regularly visited a local nursing home to keep a few folks company.
BB’s mom, Jane, was a schoolteacher. As anyone knows, that’s one of the hardest jobs there is! As an accountant, she worked for her kids’ school board for many years (you can imagine the challenges there) and served as the Treasurer for her church for as long as I’ve known her. She’s one of the most giving mothers I’ve ever met – never passing up an opportunity to give of herself to her children and grandchildren.
After my sisters and I moved out of the house, my mom, JoAnn, decided to use her experience having been a teen mom to mentor and counsel other young women with unplanned pregnancies and young mothers. We have enjoyed seeing those relationships grow over the years. She volunteered at our school when we were young whenever an opportunity arose, and excluding that one time when she got lost on the way to take us to do a service project, I think she really enjoyed it.
We have been so blessed by this rich legacy, who can blame us for wanting in on it? We look forward to carrying on the legacy for Freddy. Thanks Moms and Dads! Happy Mother’s and Father’s Day!
