Friends and Family Friday: Meet Jonathan

Have you ever had someone walk into your life, grab tight to your heart, and just implant themselves there forever and ever?

I have. Several times in fact. But the first time this happened I was only about 4.5 years old. My world was shifting and to be honest I didn’t really understand everything that was going on. I knew that my biological dad wasn’t living with us anymore but I didn’t know why.

Then all of the sudden there was this guy. This guy who treated my sister and I like we were the greatest kids in the world and who made my mom happy. My sister was hooked. She had claimed him as hers and there was no going back.

In June of 1991 that guy, Jonathan Holmes, became a permanent fixture in our lives. June 15, 1991 he and my mom stood together in the front yard of my grand parents house with all our friends and family scattered throughout the yard and said “I do”

To be honest, the rest of those early years are a blur of normal mundane day to day life. The adults did things adults did-work, household management, bills, groceries- and the kids did what kids do-school/daycare, playing, fighting, growing. Even when my cousins came to live with us and we moved 17 miles away to the next town and my 2 brothers were born life was just life. And I couldn’t have asked for anything different. When it comes to dads my mom picked the best one for us that she really could have.

So why am I telling you all about him today on the blog? Well that is a fantastic question. The answer is two fold.

1. As I have been trying to figure out what direction I want to go with on my little corner of the internet here I have decided I am going to be doing very specific types of topics on very specific days. So welcome to my first dedicated “Friends and Family Friday”

And

2. Because this is my very first “Friends and Family Friday” I realized that over the last 200+ posts I have written I have introduced my grandparents, my mom, my husband and children, and even my siblings on occasion. However, the person I have never really mentioned is my dad. And considering his birthday is on September 12th (the day after this post is published) I decided that he is a great launching point for this new segment.

Meet Jonathan

Alright, now let me tell you a little bit about Jonathan, or as I like to call him, dad.

1. He was born in Alabama but spent most of his life in South Texas.
2. He had a very successful career as an agent in the United States Border Patrol. In fact, he has a plaque in his current office at the family business honoring him as a founding member of what we currently call the Homeland Security Department.
3. He is a huge sports fan. We have spent many years watching all the sports (well, except maybe soccer) together. He even helped coach my softball team a couple of summers when I was a teenager.
4. Speaking of sports, his loyalties lie all over the country. Football can only be Alabama football (Roll Tide!). With baseball his heart lies with the Chicago Cubs (or the Rangers if that is his only option.) Hockey finds him looking toward the Colorado Avalanche. And then there is basketball. For all of my life he has laid claim to the San Antonio Spurs.
5. When my sister and I were teenagers he was the only one who had the capabilities to do our hair. My mom will admit readily that she has no skills when it comes to hair but when my dad became the dad of 2 girls he made sure to learn what he was doing. Still to this day I will go to him for a good solid French braid when I need it done.
6. He and I both accepted Christ and were baptized on the same day in the same church. I honestly don’t remember the exact month or day but I remember knowing it was a really cool thing that was happening that was a literal once in a life time moment.

There is so much more I could probably tell you about him but the most important part is that he has always been there for me, my mom, my siblings, and anyone else who has made their way into his heart. He loves hard and he loves fierce. Once he has adopted you into his life you are stuck with him forever.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD. I hope you have a wonderful year despite whatever may be going on around in the world!