To Answer My Daddy’s Question

I received an email from my daddy today asking me, in essence, how I became such a lover of nature, animals, and the “simple life.”  I was born and raised in the suburbs, both of my parents held executive positions – – my dad in Corporate America, and my mom in a State of MI court.  My bio tells all about me, so I won’t repeat it here.  I laughed when I read his email, and I could almost hear him laughing and see his smile while I read!

I know my parents love me, and they intentionally raised me to be a successful little dynamo, but I don’t think they realize how much they actually did for me. I was raised in a beautiful home, in an area that blended the niceties of city life with the natural surroundings of a quaint, small town.  I went to elementary and junior high in one of the best schools in the state, and attended one of the highest ranking high schools in the country.  I attended church services from as far back as I can remember, and don’t ever recall being an inactive church member.  I must add here, that my Christianity was planted and cultivated by my parents, grandparents, and other family members with love and tenderness the way Christ taught His followers.  That, of course, promoted my appreciation of my faith as an adult.  I could go on and on, but I can summarize by saying, they were nearly flawless in the way the raised me.

To answer my dad’s question, I believe it is that appreciation of faith and love of Christ that makes me cherish the life I’m living right now.  God is love, and I can feel that love even in the breezes that blow.  I can see Him in the trees and flowers, in the details of each uniquely designed animal, in the clouds and sun, and even in the stars at night.  When I see nature all around me, it reminds me of how vast this world really is and how blessed I am to be a part of it.  I would never have had this appreciation if my parents hadn’t planted those godly seeds.

So as he reads this, as I know he will soon, I just want to take the time to publicly thank him and my mom for teaching me about my God as a child, and then leaving me the space to grow to love and cherish Him on my own.  I’d also like to take a minute to thank the Lord for giving me the mom and dad He gave me, the life He’s allowing me to live, and the space He’s allowed me to occupy in this big, beautiful world He created!