Tate

Nineteen years ago this morning, Marti called me at the office and asked if I thought this day would be a good day to have a baby.  Sure enough, later that evening Tate Bradford Shelby arrived. 

Tate was largely unexpected.  We had suffered months, even years of infertility and the loss of a baby boy at 37 weeks.  So, you can imagine our delight.  We swore we would be tough on him and raise him to be disciplined and not rowdy  and disrespectful like everybody else's kids.  We brought him home and his first evening with us he cried and cried until we (GASP) put him in the bed with us and he slept four hours straight.  I guess he just wanted to be with us.  Social, that one. He likes being with his peeps.

He came with a few problems that required a three hour surgery when he was 11 months.  He was sick alot and we worried that he was not gaining enough weight.  So... we gave him protein shakes.

Early on, he liked puzzles, Thomas the Tank Engine and books.  He has always loved stories.  His first movie was The Lion King.

He has always loved lacrosse and sports.  He knows more stats, facts and figures than anyone I know.  His dream job would be at ESPN.   He is fiercely loyal, generous  and an award-winning potter and an International Baccalaureate Diploma recipient.

But there are two things today, I want to call out about my dear boy.

1.  I have never seen a kid so unafraid to be affectionate with his mother.  Saturday morning, in front of the Souljah Army, his Powder Puff football team he coaches with some other guys, at Tech, he greeted his mother with an embrace and a kiss on the cheek.   Now, he and his Mom have had their share of conflicts, but he cares for her and that makes his Dad really glad.

2.  He gets the Gospel in ways I never did until I was much older.  While sitting in his room, he asked me to listen to music from his computer.  "Dad, listen to this", he said.

It seems that all my bridges have been burned,
But you say, "that's exactly how this grace thing works",
It's not the long walk home that will change this heart,
But the welcome I receive with every start.

"Those are some great lines", he said.  "Mom, these guys sing the f-word in some of their songs, but its OK they're British".  (To Marti, only murder is worse than uttering the f-word).

So...
Tatie, you have made all our lives so much richer.  What a gift your life has to been to us.  Have a great day and only smoke one cigar!