Thursday, March 6, 2014

The Greatest Birthday Gift Of All

I don't consider myself to be a cocky guy, but I do think the older you get, the more confident you become. I definitely believe that the more days you live, the more thankful you should be. Yesterday was our son's 13th birthday, and out of everything our son received for his special day, I believe I was the one who got the greatest gifts ever. 

I was driving around yesterday doing some last minute birthday stuff, when I heard a clank under my Jeep, followed by a noise like I was dragging something. I thought a clamp that holds the muffler in place became separated and I was dragging it down the street (a noise I have become familiar with from driving as long as I have). At the time I was going top speed from the expressway to the main streets, hustling around like we normally do when it happened right after I passed a red light. I got out the Jeep to make an assessment of the damage, to find out it wasn't the muffler, but the gas tank that came loose and dragging down the street. That's right, I said THE GAS TANK! If you could only imagine the look on my face when it finally hit me what could've happened. Driving and dragging the tank could have punctured the tank and all it would take was a spark to the full tank of gas that was in it to make an explosion, killing me instantly on my son's birthday. 

I thank God that none of that happened, and I'm thankful again that He spared my life for another chance to tell the story. After I had the Jeep repaired, I arrived for Jonathan's celebration later that evening, and I told LaShaun what happened. She was as stunned as I was explaining it. At that point, nothing else mattered. After we gave our boy some birthday love with some ice cream cake, I felt as confident as ever at a new lease on life, and I proceeded to kiss some of the icing she had on her lips that she couldn't quite find to wipe away. I know, it was a bold move but the events of the day prompted me to be a little bolder than usual. Jonathan who was there at that particular moment, didn't know how to react...so he punched me as he does in protecting his mother. I know he was happy and wanted the night's events to focus on him, but at that moment it only felt right. There were no problems from LaShaun for me doing it either. I think I caught her by surprise more than anything, but at the end of the night I came away feeling like a new man, reprieved, spared, ready to conquer the world because of being alive.

I was already on a high from loving God, being thankful for life and kissing LaShaun when the last gift I got that night was when SHE kissed ME when I left! Now I know it might not make any sense to some of you, and I might not be able to do the best job at explaining this, but it's a very different emotional experience when you're on the receiving end of someone kissing you (at least it is for me). For everything I know we've been through (individually and collectively), last night will stand out as three of the greatest experiences and gifts I ever had. 

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