Yesterday was Kelsey’s birthday. Kelsey, for those who don’t know, is my daughter-in-law; the wife of my older son, Chris; and the mother of my granddaughter, "Sweetpea". Later this week will also be Chris and Kelsey’s tenth anniversary.
Ten years ago, when we came to Abilene for the wedding, we hardly knew Kelsey. She was very young and seemed a little timid. I wondered, at that time, if she had the personality to hold her own in a relationship with my son, who had always been a risk-taker and an adventurer, with strong opinions and an abundance of self-confidence.
I watched – from afar, since we have never lived very close to them – as these two grew from newly weds into a strong, unified couple. My early concerns were quickly relieved. I began to see that Kelsey, in her quiet way, had strength of character and moral convictions that Chris respected and honored. And I saw, with some amazement, my son’s brashness of youth soften around the edges because of the love he had for Kelsey.
Chris and Kelsey were married eight years before Sweetpea came along. Sweetpea has been a blessing to the entire family. But sometimes I get so wrapped up in bragging about the child that I neglect to brag on her parents, who are doing an outstanding job at bringing her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Although I’ve always been fond of Kelsey, my love and appreciation for her have grown in leaps and bounds since Sweetpea's birth. When I see the pure joy she exhibits in mothering Sweetpea, and when I see her consistently put into practice the balanced and well-thought-out philosophy on child-rearing that she and Chris share, I am proud of and thankful for the huge part she plays in our family.
Kelsey will be coming, with Sweetpea, to visit us in a few weeks. She is going to considerable inconvenience to make this visit happen. It’s just one of the many examples I could tell you of her thoughtfulness and her high regard for family.
There are times when I think Kelsey has wisdom beyond her years, when it comes to being a wife and mother. I’ve said it before, but if I had hunted for the perfect wife for Chris, I couldn’t have found a better complement to his nature than Kelsey.
Happy birthday, Kelsey. I hope you know, with assurance, that both Dan and I love and value you.
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1 comment:
Awwww, you made me cry. Thank you so much for your sweet words; it's nice to get the occassional affirmation of a job well done because somedays I'm not quite sure.
I may have been instrumental in softening his edges, but Chris also has rubbed off on me. My blog is a testament to how sarcastic and obnoxious I've become over the years. I'm sure we're doing a bang-up job of passing that on the the little one. Sorry 'bout that. It is your son't fault though.
I guess if anything, she'll be able to hold her own once she's in school. I see her being a lot like her Daddy in that respect. I really don't get how someone can not care one iota what others think of them. Because of that, I'm so glad that Chris is here to teach her how to accomplish that feat. It sure beats being the shy, timid thing I was (and still am a lot of times).
Thanks again for the birthday wishes and we can't wait to see you guys. It won't be too much longer!
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