Today as we stroll down Legacy Lane and I am excited to share with you a legacy I have had the privilege of watching take shape. It is a legacy of love, perseverance, and commitment to responsible action. I did not ask my man’s permission to share this because I know he would have said ‘no’. He is not one who seeks the spotlight. However, I believe it is a story begging to be shared because it is such a beautiful picture of legacy building. So, I’ll ask for forgiveness rather than permission from Greg.
When Greg and I married in 1995, his son, Charlie, was 2 ½ years old. Charlie and his mother had moved to Birmingham, Alabama which was a 2-plus hour drive from our home in North Atlanta. Greg and I continued living in the Atlanta area until late 1999 when we moved back to our hometown in the north Georgia Mountains. Charlie now lived a few minutes shy of 4 hours from us.
From the day Charlie ceased to live in the same house with Greg to the day Charlie left for college, my man went to Birmingham every other weekend to visit him. For a few years it was a 2-plus hour drive each way, but then for about 10 years the drive was almost 4 hours each way. Every other Friday, Greg would leave work and drive to Birmingham. He would pick Charlie up and they would go to a hotel for the night or weekend. Depending on Charlie’s age, they would play in the yard, hit baseballs, go to a movie, eat, play video games, play golf or check out the sporting goods stores. Then, on Saturday evening or early Sunday morning, Greg dropped Charlie off at his home and made the drive back to either Atlanta or Blairsville.
This continued for sixteen plus years….every other weekend. It was not always convenient, nor did Greg always feel like doing it. However, it was his responsibility to do what was best for his son and Greg never failed in his commitment to Charlie.
Greg and Charlie – December 2010
As the movie Courageous opens in theatres this week, I want to be one of the first to shout out about my man. Greg is a man of courage, honor, and commitment to responsibility whom I am proud to call my husband. His legacy to Charlie is that of a loving, caring, dad who did whatever it took to be involved in his child’s life.
MEDITATION MOMENT: Do you know a man who is building a legacy of honor and commitment to his children? Share about him here.
