So apparently I am a blogger now. I have been in an unknowing
apprenticeship to my wife for the last 6 months. Secretly she has been
grooming me into a well oiled blog machine. It feels great to know that
my master Jedi has released me into the wild and I am ready to take on
sith lord Darth Bane (she said I'm supposed to cater to all walks of
life with my blogs- so nerds, unite). As I sit here and ponder the past
year of marriage, one thought eclipses the rest and that are the words
unconditional love.
This phrase is tossed around a lot as an old adage expressed to children by their parents growing up as they demolish parts of the home or wrestle with personal choices.
When I was a young lad, I remember the very definition of the phrase was exemplified by my Grandad Bill. He showed me love in a way that is rarely replicated. It was a type of love that at the time I just thought, "Is he just that stupid to keep loving a boy with a radical case of ADHD?". There are many instances that tried his patience, but he never once buckled or lost his cool.
This phrase is tossed around a lot as an old adage expressed to children by their parents growing up as they demolish parts of the home or wrestle with personal choices.
When I was a young lad, I remember the very definition of the phrase was exemplified by my Grandad Bill. He showed me love in a way that is rarely replicated. It was a type of love that at the time I just thought, "Is he just that stupid to keep loving a boy with a radical case of ADHD?". There are many instances that tried his patience, but he never once buckled or lost his cool.
I remember a time when we were fishing on a lake
near Lubbock (West Texas where he lived) and for an nine year old's
attention span, fishing is his kryptonite. We were fishing one spot on
the lake for probably ten minutes and I was not catching anything so I
said, "Grandad, let's move spots."
He says back, "Brad give it some time and let the fish come to you."
Switching spots to me meant driving the boat, where at the time was way more exhilarating than staring at a pole. Well obviously I didn't wait because this story would be pointless if I did. As he turned his back to me, I proceeded to crank the ignition and floor the throttle.
All I remember is hearing a lot of unfinished cuss words and grandad getting knocked down and pinned to the rear of the boat by the acceleration speed.
After he managed to crawl up to the throttle stick and maintain control of our vessel, we had traveled probably half a mile across the lake and were not close to any docks or shorelines by the grace of God.
Upon stopping my Grandad looked at me and said, "Was that fun?".
That confused me.
I was waiting to get tossed overboard for almost wrecking his new bass boat and I get asked that?! I almost thought it was a trick question, because I was starting to catch on to when people had been condescending before.
Then he followed it up by saying, "because if you thought that was fun then we can do it again. Just tell me next time so I can enjoy it too."
He had a way with words. He had a way with love.
He proceeded to tell me the dangers of what I did and why he wasn't mad at me, but that I needed to tell him before I make any decisions like that because we are in this together. I had never seen this type of punishment before. It was rare. There were many other times throughout my childhood that he displayed this type of affection. Anyhow as a child, I only knew this as a strange love given only by grandads that have nothing to lose.
Looking back now, it was the very essence of the unconditional love that we all yearn for. The love that was originated by our Father God.
Fast
forward 22 years. I am married to the love of my life, and now
unconditional love is my daily mission. It's the paramount of our
marriage. It's the epoxy (<--caters to manly men) that holds us
together. It's the extremely important and quintessential part of
our life that Grandad Bill showed me, not taught at me, but showed me. That through him God instilled inside of me, on a boat, in the middle of
nowhere, at nine years old.
photo credit
He says back, "Brad give it some time and let the fish come to you."
Switching spots to me meant driving the boat, where at the time was way more exhilarating than staring at a pole. Well obviously I didn't wait because this story would be pointless if I did. As he turned his back to me, I proceeded to crank the ignition and floor the throttle.
All I remember is hearing a lot of unfinished cuss words and grandad getting knocked down and pinned to the rear of the boat by the acceleration speed.
After he managed to crawl up to the throttle stick and maintain control of our vessel, we had traveled probably half a mile across the lake and were not close to any docks or shorelines by the grace of God.
Upon stopping my Grandad looked at me and said, "Was that fun?".
That confused me.
I was waiting to get tossed overboard for almost wrecking his new bass boat and I get asked that?! I almost thought it was a trick question, because I was starting to catch on to when people had been condescending before.
Then he followed it up by saying, "because if you thought that was fun then we can do it again. Just tell me next time so I can enjoy it too."
He had a way with words. He had a way with love.
He proceeded to tell me the dangers of what I did and why he wasn't mad at me, but that I needed to tell him before I make any decisions like that because we are in this together. I had never seen this type of punishment before. It was rare. There were many other times throughout my childhood that he displayed this type of affection. Anyhow as a child, I only knew this as a strange love given only by grandads that have nothing to lose.
Looking back now, it was the very essence of the unconditional love that we all yearn for. The love that was originated by our Father God.
Fast
forward 22 years. I am married to the love of my life, and now
unconditional love is my daily mission. It's the paramount of our
marriage. It's the epoxy (<--caters to manly men) that holds us
together. It's the extremely important and quintessential part of
our life that Grandad Bill showed me, not taught at me, but showed me. That through him God instilled inside of me, on a boat, in the middle of
nowhere, at nine years old.
-B
photo credit
LOVE THIS and LOVE YOU!
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