To my mechanic, my car guy, the tire dude, the one with the scarred knuckles, busted hands, calloused fingers, and grease stained clothes… I see you. I see you working hard every single day for our family. I see you tired and worn out, covered in your days’ work, playing with our son, teaching our daughter how to clean up her toys. I see you helping around the house, even when I’ve been lazy and should have done it. I see you at work, goofing off with your friends but worrying about bills and money and how we will pay everything, feed the kids, and take care ourselves. I see you working just a little bit longer for those few extra dollars in a work week that has been less than desirable. I see you dealing with all sorts of adversity every day and overcoming it every time.
I see you stressing yourself out because you’re trying to make me happy and I’m being a very difficult person. I see you doing your best, putting your all into everything from our marriage, to our family, to a career you strive so hard every day to be better at. I see you taking care of us. Putting your own interest aside to make sure we are happy. I see you missing little things at home because you are the hardest worker I know. You are a provider, you are a phenomenal husband, you are an incredible father, a loyal partner, a great son, brother, and friend.
I see you when you’re hurting because that tire was just a little bit heavier on your back today than it was the day before, I see you when your cleaning the house to help me and make me happy after you had a hard day. I see you in bed dying to play a video game but opting to watch a chick flick with me because I complain…a lot. I watch as you put our son to bed and he is being incredibly difficult because he just wants a few more minutes of daddy’s cuddles, I hear you reading Oaklee stories, telling her to listen to me or I’m going to lose my mind, I watch you nurture that relationship and love her the way you love our son.
I also see you when you’re being taken for granted because most of the time, I’m the one doing it. I forget sometimes that you are human for the simple fact that every day you are Superman, for all the things that you do for us. I forget that you’re tired, that your body hurts, that your mind is overwhelmed, and you can’t find peace. I forget that you need to unwind just as much as do but while remind you one more time that I was at home by myself just a little bit longer tonight as you strived to earn just a little bit more money to support us. I complain, I nag, I fuss, I argue, and I love you.
I love you, because to the world you might be that mechanic that changed that woman’s oil, or the son that replaced a transmission, or just a greasy, smelly guy that made someone’s car run again, but I see you. I see you in all your different roles, in all your environments, with all your titles, and all these expectations. You are a great man, you are an important man, you are a hardworking, loyal, and loving man. Sometimes you’re just worn a little thin. No matter what happens you always end up right side up again and keep going and I admire you for that. I love that little things don’t stir you up, that you are patient, that all those countless times that you have been done wrong your soul is good, that you’re giving, you’re helpful, you’re talented. There are so many small facets that make up the man that is a music connoisseur with a playlist labeled profanity, that make up the man that works hard for a living, that man up the father, and the husband that you are.
No matter what your title is for that split moment in time I am proud of you. I am proud to be yours. I am in love with our life, our kids, and you! I cannot wait to see where this life takes us, but I am so looking forward to the next 7 years, the 7 more after that, and even after that for the rest of forever. My mechanic, my car guy, my tire dude…you’re perfect in every way imaginable…and I see you.
