weekly gratitude, father's day edition

thank you for always being the footsteps to follow in

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I'm not sure I've ever really shared my routine with you.

To be honest, I'm hesitant to now. 

It's not that I have qualms about sharing pieces of my life with you all, clearly. But something about the little bits - the quietest moments in the writing process - have the sort of sacred significance that I can only imagine any artist, no matter the medium (be it paint, marble, food, the human body, the human soul, nature itself, a mathematical formula, whathaveyou) feels in those early moments of creation. 

But I will say this much about the early phases of writing this post up each week (a post I genuinely look forward to constructing each Sunday): in the sweet moments before the band starts up at church I take a quiet instant to jot down a sort of rough list of all I have to be thankful for. This is the sort of outline I begin with each week. 

And it's easy when I'm there by myself because I can just quiet my mind and get to listing.

Today though I was not alone and so, I have no outline to go on because I was too busy chatting to be listing. However that in itself provides me with the perfect segue...

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1. Thank you for my dad. Flipping through my bible this morning I found a handout from Holy Trinity Brompton (the church I went to in London) from exactly 5 years ago with the words "Father's Day!" written on top. And that folks was the last time my dad and I got to spend Father's Day together. So this year was a special treat. Thank you for allowing us that time together. And thank you to the man who has given so much of himself for me. Taught me right from wrong, what true faith looks like, how to cook, how to drive, how to appreciate wine and whiskey. Thank you for the man who sends me emails or cards just to tell me how much he loves me, how blessed he is to be my dad (talk about a humbling feeling to get those little notes!). Thank you for the man who, above all, knows his greatest mission in life is to get his child to heaven. Thank you for the man that makes sure I get a bouquet of pink roses every year for my birthday, one for every year of life. Thank you for the man who let me dance on his feet to "My Girl" and who would sing the bass to "Under the Boardwalk" whenever it came on the radio. One of these days I'll finally get the hang of shooting and finally learn to drive a stick shift - but there's time enough for that. We're young dad - and there's lot's left to teach me.

2. Thank you for Jared's job. Though I rank saying goodbye to him each fire season pretty high on my list of things I kind of hate, I am so excited and grateful to see him off on this amazing new venture. Last night certainly wasn't fun hugging him one last time, but I promise there was certain happiness in the tears that may have fallen from my eyes. All these years of toil and strain to get to this point have been so, so worth it (though I'm sure he'd gladly give up a few of those anxious days leading up to a dispatch in years past). Knowing all he has done, all he has sacrificed, all he has accomplished to bring him to this point leaves me just beaming for him. I am so thankful for what this fire season will bring, giving him the chance to live the life he has dreamt of. Just... Incredible.

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There are probably more things I could jabber on about but frankly, those are the only two I can focus on right now. 

His crew hasn't been dispatched yet, but any prayers for the safety and success of all the wildland firefighters would be amazing. 

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, a wonderful Father's Day and is looking at a busy but great week ahead!