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27th Anniversary-To My Darling Dana

July 16, 2010 in familywith 0 Comments

Friday July 16, 2010

To My Darling Dana…

It’s early Friday morning July 16th – our 27th wedding anniversary. I tried to sleep in but as has become our routine, you got up early and I followed soon after :)

I laid in bed last night thinking about what I would write in this letter – actually, thinking about all of the reasons that I love you.

It is amazing to think back on the crazy days when we met out of the blue at a restaurant, fell crazy in love in one day, and started the journey of knowing that nothing could keep us apart. Not miles, not parents or family, not age difference (the older I get the smarter I see it is that you are 7 years younger than me:)

As we sat and talked on our first date to Opryland Hotel in Nashville back in March 1983, God entangled our hearts in a way that could not be undone. Our hearts were joined together not just through infatuation and emotion, but like two unique pieces of fabric they were sewn together through a miraculous divine appointment, sharing of our life stories, and our hopes and our visions for the future (I seem to remember our vision for the future included having a few kids :). As we shared, our loving Father knitted two unique pieces of fabric together and they became one. The fact that we met on a Tuesday, and were engaged to be married the next Tuesday still brings amazement to me.

As that amazing time in 1983 slips farther and farther into the background of our lives, many more images and moments come into view as we continue to work together to follow God’s lead, and learn how to serve one another and our awesome God.

Our life together has become a beautiful tapestry of love, images, voices, laughter, tears, prayers, hopes, and dreams about what exciting adventure might be around the next bend.

To say I am “blessed” or “thankful” to be your husband is such an understatement that it almost seems ridiculous to write. Even so,  it is true.  I cannot imagine a life not filled with Dana. You add so much, and take so little. You are a beautiful example of love, pure love, that reflects the beautiful light of our Lord.

Thank you my sweet Dana for standing by your man (I feel cool saying I’m “your man”),  and for being my best friend and teammate as we have, and are, working through the challenges of life. Be assured that no challenge in life will ever overcome or weaken our love, nor will it pull us from our main objective -of loving our Lord and each other. We will continue for the rest our lives to laugh, love, dream, and dive-in.

I LOVE YOU like crazy my darling Dana and remain committed to you and our family!

Daddy :-)
(a.k.a. Barry)

My Wife Dangles

January 22, 2010 in family,family-my familywith 2 Comments

I love my wife.

Recently one of my kids friends was locked out of her house after school and my beautiful “always willing to go for it” 40-something wife went down to her house, climbed through the window, and got her in. I’m very glad I was away at the time and did not know about it, or that I did not drive by and see her dangling from the window!

This episode of the Whitlow Family Show reminds me of a few things that I love about my wife Dana:

Dana Darling2

  • Dana loves to dangle. She loves adventure and is not afraid to go for it or to risk it all. I love that about her. She is more future minded than past or present minded.  As a teammate she helps me to be free, focused, and not bogged down with past regrets.
  • Dana gives. She is one of the most giving human beings I have ever known. She will literally give you the food off of her plate (and has many times), and gives with no strings attached.
  • Dana loves God’s Word. She keeps eternity in clear view. You can’t be around her very long without hearing about her faith. She stamps God’s truths into every area of her life. I love that about her.
  • Dana makes life fun. She loves to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Laughing until we cry is commonplace. Because she loves to laugh one of my main goals in life is to give her lots of stuff to laugh about. As the years role forward Dana is laughing more and more. As her husband that really turns me on! So often as people grow older they laugh less, get bitter, and their personalities dry up. Not hers!

Dana is the greatest earthly gift God has ever given to me. Her life counts. To me. Our kids. And to others.