I Want to Wrap My Arms Around a Man I Never Knew

This beautiful man has been my husband for the past 17 years.
He is my "beyond words".
For there doesn't exist enough language in the world to fully describe all that he is,
all that he has been, to me and to all those who truly know him.

He is easy-going.
What a blessing that has been. 
I am, as some would say, anything but calm in a crisis. 
I am a high-strung, panicky worrier. I am a "worst case scenario" kind of gal.
My husband Greg, however, is cool and level headed. 

He is forgiving.
Even when he has a right to be hurt, he has this kind way of letting go..
A way of seeing the best in others.
He's helped me to be a better person, to breathe when I'd rather seethe.

He has an incredible sense of humor.
Not in a joke telling kind of way, but a natural wittiness.
He makes us laugh everyday.

He's a great communicator.
We talk about everything together.
He expresses himself freely and allows us to do the same.

He is thoughtful.
He's been known to clean the entire house on more than one occasion.
To make me breakfast in bed.
Or pick me wildflowers.

Perhaps best of all, he is an amazing Father.
He makes time to play with our daughter even after an exhausting full day of work.
He spends weekends planning Daddy/Daughter days.
He reads to her, teaches her life skills and listens when she talks.

Yes, my husband is quite a guy.
He's not without his faults, but he more than makes up for them.

The thing is, not everyone is here to see the man he's become.

You see, when my husband was just 13 years old
his father took his own life.

He had struggled with depression, most likely bi-polar disorder, for years.
He had, at times, reached out for help, but the old school thinking was just to
"snap out of it". 
People didn't understand clinical depression as much as they do now.
There was a stigma attached to it.
Let's face it, no one wants to be labeled "crazy". 
I get that.
However, having a mental disorder doesn't automatically make you insane.
And when you look at it with the correct perspective, it makes all the difference.
I mean, no one wants diabetes or cancer either.
Still, that wouldn't stop most of us from getting help if we had them. 

Today is the 10th of September. It is national suicide prevention day. It is so important to bring awareness to this issue.

I never got to meet my Father-in-Law.
Yet, I still long to tell him a great many things. 

I want to tell him to stay. Tell him "You ARE of value in this life."
I want to show him his grown-up son and say "Look, you made him.
You have so much to live for." 
I want to introduce him to his granddaughter.
Our sweet girl who prays for others in her small voice at night. 
Who shares so readily and gives the biggest hugs with her eyes closed so tight.
I want to say "I love you"
and wrap my arms around this man I never knew.
To thank him for playing such a huge role in my life. 

Please hold the people in your life. Tell them they matter.
More than that, guide them to get help when they need it.
And even more than that, never make them feel bad for needing it. 

National Hotline :: #1.800.273.8255

>>>   <<<