Day 3 --- Im thankful for my middle child, my happy kiddo, my big boy with a heart so big that its hard to imagine that it belongs to such a small fella, my Joseph Emile Bartels. Named after two World War II veterans, Joey has the sweet soul of a lamb when he shows you he cares and the spirit of a lion when Daddy picks on Mommy. When he was around 6 months old, I had just started working offshore when we realized something wasnt as it should be with Little Joe. After a few trips to the Doctor, they decided to run tests on our baby boy to see if he had a rare form of cancer. Regina Mccullough-Bartels and I wore holes in the carpet we were on our knees so much, and God answered our prayers with a clean bill of health on the cancer side. It was then that we realized that we had a bit of a miracle baby, and he still lives up to that criteria. Hes always quick to share his food, his toys, his happiness with others and hes one of the only children Ive ever met that gets upset when his brother or sister get in trouble. He truly dislikes unhappiness. I look at him and I see me. Through and through. His struggles to read. His appetite. His desire to be a Soldier when he grows up. He is my last baby boy, and I hold him in my arms every chance I get and tell him You wont always be this little, Joe and he says I know, someday Ill be a Soldier. I have zero reasons to doubt him and I genuinely feel that one day way too soon Ill be watching him don his own rucksack as he begins to fight his own war in a land of sand where people hate him and curse him. He, like Sammy, will change the world and will leave her better than he found her. He loves fishing, he loves Ninja Turtles and he loves God. Joe, you are a great kiddo and I love you to pieces. Every milestone your reach and very barrier you cross, my heart breaks a little because I know that will not be my little boy for much longer. When God blessed me with you, my second son, I knew that I was in Gods favor because he had entrusted to me another son to raise and to teach in accordance with His word. Youre going to make a great husband and father and Soldier one day, and although I absolutely do not look forward to those days, I cant wait to see the impact you have on your own sons and your own family. You, my boy, will be the real deal when it comes to love and compassion and stern devotion and service. I vow to be a better father to you, a better friend to you and a better Christian so that there will be no gray area of how a man acts and carries himself in the service of his God and to his fellow man. Always give unto others and love others even when they dont deserve it, and keep your azimuth set on God, and youll have the keys to the Kindgom, pal. I love you with every fiber of my heart, and Id be lost without ya, buddy. Fist bump. 😜
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 15:07:44 +0000
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