Hippo Birdie Buddy!

Happy July 1st!  And happy 30th birthday to this guy today!

Can we pause for a second and marvel at this scooter.  They don't make them like they used to.

I was thinking about putting together a list of 30 things that I love about Dan and as I was thinking about it in my head, it reminded me of the passage from 1 Corinthians 13.  You know the one that everyone uses at their wedding about what love is?

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Truly, Dan is all of these things and I am not just being sweet.  If you know Dan at all you can surely agree.  I see very little of myself in that passage, sadly, but Dan, he's got it all.  

Dan is the most patient human being I have ever met.  The amount of patience he has is close to enraging when you do not possess that skill, like me.  His abundant ability to listen, reason, plan, and enjoy life at a patient pace is incredible. 

Dan is kind.  Coupled with his patience, he is genuinely nice to everyone.  There's the catch - it's easy to be kind...it's not easy for that kindness to be genuine, but his is.  Dan cares for those around him and prays regularly for those he has never met.  His sensitive soul empathizes deeply with others.

Dan does not envy.  The only thing I have seen Dan envious about is when I get a day off and he doesn't.  Other than that, he doesn't dwell on what others have and what he doesn't.  He doesn't let earthly desires for material possessions or money or fame distract him from the life he is living.  He is content, which also makes it incredibly difficult to shop for birthday presents for him. 

Dan is humble to his core.  He never toots his horn or belittles others by spouting off about what he knows and what he has and how awesome he is.  He prefers celebrating in others' accomplishments rather than having the spotlight on himself. 

Dan's kindness prevents him from dishonoring others.  On the rare occasions when someone upsets him he is miraculously able to keep his tongue from lashing out with evil words and hate.

Dan is truthfully not easily angered.  This is the most rare quality I feel that Dan has. He truly does not express anger as most do. Sure, he gets frustrated and upset but he does not act on those feelings in a typically "angry" way.  He has never yelled at me, ever.  I have only seen him slightly raise his voice once when dealing with rowdy teens. Anything that upsets him makes him uncomfortable and he would rather deal with those feelings in a civil way than build on the emotions with rage.  How? Just how?

With that, he keeps no record of wrongs.  He does not harbor grudges mainly because his memory is short and he forgets things easily.  There is a silver lining if I ever heard one.  I can forgive but I don't forget. In this area, I need to learn from him.

Dan is a protector.  He will take the fall for others.  He looks out for those around him.  He believes everyone is capable of good and trusts them until they prove otherwise and then gives them a second, third, and forth chance.  He is an optimist, positive and always hopeful.

Dan is love.  As Christians we are called to be a Christ-like examples to the world.  Man is that hard. But Dan does exactly that.  Is he perfect?  No, absolutely not, but he does strive to treat others the way Jesus called us to.  I feel so blessed to be with someone who so fully embodies the qualities and characteristics of love.   I am grateful to be a witness to his life, to feel his love, and to have a living example of how I can be more Christ-like.  I have hope that one day, God willing, our children will get to learn and grow under Dan's influence and that will be a beautiful thing.  

Other awesome things about Dan:

He is a servant.  He loves helping others and is especially helpful to me.  
He is a great snuggler.
He is goofy and silly and playful and fun.  He doesn't take life too seriously.
He has the best true laugh.  I love tickling him to hear his giggle. 
He enjoys just hanging out.  He isn't an extrovert and I love that we can just sit together and not have to be talking or moving or doing constantly.
He is youthful.  Although he turns 30 today he looks and acts so much younger (but not in an immature way).  
He is responsible and authoritative.
Kids of all ages look up to him with admiration.  I love how the little kids at church call him "Mr. Dan."  
He is selfless and always thinks of others above himself.
He loves me and tells me multiple time every day.
He is courteous, gracious, merciful, and thankful.  
I love that he likes my cooking, that he lets me pick on his face, that he will scratch my back whenever I ask, that he will make dinner, do the dishes and laundry by himself, that he is eager to learn, that he is always up for an adventure, that he leaves me special napkin notes in my lunch, that he buys me chocolate and makes me coffee (even though he hates both).  And so much more.

He is my Daniel Tiger, my Buddy, my best friend.  Today we celebrate you and everything special about you.  I hope you feel loved in abundance.