The love of my life turns another year older today. This past year was a mix of tough times and the kind of times built on faith, hard work and a bit of luck.
She’s been the driver of all of that.
And it’s not a stretch to say she saved us. More to the point, she saved me.
When 2023 started, I was about as low as I could be, struggling to find my way while Honny had just wrapped up her sixth and so far last travel nursing assignment. The assignments were never easy, certainly not for her and it’s hard to fathom all she has dealt with since the pandemic in 2020.
Through it all, she supported our family. Again, more to the point, she supported me and motivated me to be a better man and person. She allowed me the time to deal with leaving Texas A&M while putting up with me going there at least once a week to support the students when they didn’t have a full-time adviser during the 2022-23 school year.
I say “allowed me,” because I did that without any compensation from Texas A&M. I could say a lot about that, but this day is about her.
She was there to pick me up and put me back together over and over again, and give me a kick in the pants. Because of those kicks – yes, there were multiple kicks – I found a couple of new jobs to help us get through 2023. Because of her, I took a leap of faith to apply for different positions. I got some good interview practice when I became a finalist for a couple of those and that prepared me when I found and applied for my current role at Baylor University.
I’m where I’m supposed to be professionally because Honny is the perfect partner, and we are a great team.
Those who’ve known us since the Arlington Morning News days — #AMNForever — know that music is one of the things that ties us together as a team. In 2023, we were fortunate to attend our first shows since the pandemic.
We saw Robert Plant and Allison Krauss in April in The Woodlands. Any show with Plant is just amazing. We saw Metallica’s No Repeat Weekend with Pantera, Five Finger Death Punch, Mammoth WVH and Ice Nine Kills in Arlington in August. We ended August with a surprise trip to Austin to see Staind and Godsmack. And then we took Nash to his first rock show with Falling in Reverse and Avenged Sevenfold back in Austin in October.
Music has helped us cope with life and we heard songs that are ingrained in the soundtracks of the lives we had before we met and of our life together. The angry songs that might scare some of you helped us leave crappy days in the rearview mirror before we got home. That’s one way we’re still the same as we were in our 20s.
Falling in Reverse has been key to that energy release since the pandemic. And who hasn’t rocked out as loud as possible with Metallica and Pantera on the car stereo? (It’s OK if you haven’t.) Godsmack’s “Under Your Scars” is one the rare ballads from the above bands and it became one of those songs I listened to over and over while Honny was away on those six assignments.
Almost every lyric of the song rings true for our relationship, but the one that strikes the truest is “You’re everything that feels like home to me.” That was especially true when she was away. I won’t bore you with all of the rest, but you can listen here if you don’t know it. As Sully Erna says, “we are all imperfectly perfect.”
The cool thing is that the song’s popularity spawned The Scars Foundation by Sully and Godsmack to raise awareness of mental health issues. More support for mental health has always been a prevalent need, but the pandemic made it worse for many, including a lot of those in the healthcare industry.
I love to see something positive from the music. And I love her, dearly. Happy Birthday my love. I will love you my whole life. You and no other.
— D
I knew you were in good hands. I never worry.
What a blessing that is for a Mother!
Happy Birthday Honny!