One of the Two Best Men I Ever Dated...

One of the best dates I ever went on started out pretty terribly. See, it all comes down to pride. When I was a senior in high school, I had heard that BYU didn't hold their wrestlers up to the same standards as everyone else (which I am now pretty sure may have been an exaggeration), but I was so miffed that I refused to even apply to the school and went elsewhere. Then, after getting my AA, I was singng a different tune and wanted to attend after all. Alas, though I was the only honor student in the family, I was also the only one to not get accepted.

What does this have to do with my best date? When I got the letter, my dad was the only one home. Usually, I run to my mom with things like this, but in this situation, I'm glad my dad was the one there. I started bawling (mostly because I really didn't have a back up plan). My dad came and sat by me on the couch and hugged me. Then, we went out to Red Robin for drinks. I can't remember what we talked about, but I remember thinking about how much my dad loved me right at that moment; that he cared about my little disappointments.
One of the best parts of growing up having my dad be my dad was that he was always an incredible supporter when we did sports. When diving down to begin a breaststroke race, you have to go a little deeper than other strokes. Nevertheless, at my very deepest I could always hear my dad yelling for me above the crowd. That was the best. Everyone could tell how proud he was of me by his obvious enthusiasm. I never have doubted that he was proud of me.

He is honestly one of the best men I have ever known. He is generous and kind, but goes out of his way to make sure people don't know how generous he is to others. One thing both my husband and I especially admire in him is how well he handles adversity. Even with the struggles he has had in the past few years, I have never heard him complain. He is constantly looking forward to things getting better, and downplays any of his limitations. I truly admire his humble attitude and his determination to serve the Lord to the best of his abilities. I am so grateful that I was given to his family.