As you are already aware, I have volunteered to be the Team Captain for Western Union's Light the Night team. The HR representative who leads the Wired for Fun (social committee) team asked me if I would attend their monthly meeting and speak a little bit about the walk. I'm not big on speaking in front of strangers. I know I've said I'm a talker, and that is generally true, but standing in front of a crowd of people I don't know is not my most talkative venue.
Standing up and speaking in front of 35 extroverts whom I've never met, all waiting for the speaking to be over in order to throw a surprise baby shower for one of the team members, is definitely not my most talkative platform. The good thing about extroverts, though, is that they tend to be very welcoming and excited to meet new people so it wasn't so bad. The talk went well and I think I recruited some more walkers!
On my way down to the meeting I was trying to think of what I would say about the walk, and I had a realization. I knew the HR rep wanted me to talk a little about the walk and a little about my motivation to be the team captain, so I was trying to think of what details to include about my motivation. I ran through the idea of saying "my dad passed away nearly 13 years ago..." when it hit me: this coming February 2 is the one I've been dreading for years. The first was hard, and I knew the 10th would be hard (something about that even number 10). But the one I always dreaded was 13. Why? Because that year would mark the point in my life when I had officially lived just as long without my dad as I did with, and I always felt like from that point forward I'd have less of a connection. As I started dreading the upcoming anniversary all the more, I then remembered the miracle of William's birth. I already knew the blessing that it was, but this was a piece of the blessing that I hadn't realized before. I wouldn't need to dread this 13th anniversary because I have William's first birthday to celebrate.
It's true that with every closed door there's an opened window.
With that being said, I think its time I start thinking about his first birthday party. After all, I don't even have 6 months left to plan it! :) I won't make a HUGE ordeal of it and spend oogles of money (or so I think right now) but it will be a celebration to remember. My friend Robert was born on January 31 and for most of his birthdays I've attended a party in honor of him on Super Bowl Sunday. I won't be able to this year, but what better time to have a party for William? The Super Bowl falls on the Sunday after his birthday, and Austin and I are both pretty big football fans, so why not celebrate during halftime? I don't watch for the commercials or the halftime show, that's when I like to talk and eat...and have William shove his face in a cake. Sounds pretty perfect to me :)
So today I'm thankful once again not only for William's birth, but for the precise way in which God planned it. And for the first time in 13 years, I'm looking forward to February 2.
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