BUD CHOOSES A FATHER'S DAY CARD

Bud had to get a card for Dad, and he had to be the one to choose it. When his sister tried to help him, he decided he didn’t want the one little guys would give to their daddies, the one that, in syncopation, sang deep truth (posted below).

So Mom took Bud to The Lamb’s Well, where she hoped could wander/shop its books and art. But Buddy stood before shelves full of Dayspring Father’s Day Cards with a lot of verses to decipher.

"Dad, We don’t always talk about our feelings—

we just know that we love each other.

But sometimes, like today, I just want to tell you

how glad I am you’re my dad."

His thick lashed, dark eyes pulled me back from my wandering. I helped him dismiss the girlie ones, but I think I read aloud just about every verse from each card he handed me.

I didn’t prod him; he had to tell me which one he’d buy.

"You’ve done a lot for our family through the years.

You’ve worked hard to provide for us."

Of course we rode the verbal seesaw where I caught what Bud didn’t want:  “You like this card?"  “No.”  “You want this?”  “Nope.”  "How about this?”  “I don’t think so.”  Sometimes I deduced his negative from a silent stare while he tried to figure out whether I didn’t like the card, too. His positive choice struggled to get past the seizure-damaged neural synapses to his vocal cords.

"You’ve been there with love and encouragement.

You’ve lived out your faith in practical ways."

Bud chose this bikewear.

I waited for him to verbally affirm his choice on a card. I waited because that’s what a loving parent does, patiently let the grown child think through and form the decision.

"For all that and more, I hope you know

 how much you’re loved and appreciated,

Because even if 
I don’t always say those things,

 my heart feels them every day."

When his Dad finally read these verses on the card Buddy chose, Mom blinked happy tears.

BLESSED FATHER'S DAY!