First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Abe!!!
I am grateful every single day that I am married to this man! That is not an exaggeration– I wake up every day still a little in disbelief that I somehow snagged Abe. Abe is patient, kind, wise beyond belief, and deeply service oriented. I admire his work ethic, his self-control, his love of doing good, and the way he cherishes his family. So, to be specific, here are some of the most recent things Abe has done that blow me away.
- He genuinely, from his heart, enjoys playing with our children. Recently he has played a lot of legos with Ammon and they create the most imaginative scenarios and creations together. Afterward Abe will rave about how much fun he had, and how legos give him a chance to be a kid again. He also plays dolls with all the kids and makes everyone laugh so hard with his voices and scenarios! He also recently spent hours building a fort and throwing snowballs with the kids, played a chase game that had everyone in giggle fits, played all sorts of board games with the kids, and of course sledded and skied with our children–all in the past month alone. Because of Abe’s playful nature, all of these activities delight him and make him so happy. I love that he models such a healthy masculinity that embraces play with our children.
- Abe is our resident adult. When I go off the handle our children will tearfully appeal to Abe for his intervention. He is tender-hearted, wise, and kind to the bone. I recall both Mary and me coming to him simultaneously after a recent piano practice begging for his help. Both of us understood that the only person who could fix our situation was Abe, and fix it he did. He listened carefully and compassionately. And then he calmly took the temperature down and suggested solutions that immediately helped get us back on track. I am so, so grateful to parent with Abe.
- Abe works so hard. Abe just transitioned roles, and the new pace is very intense. He has a $10 million dollar quota, and he is expected to hit that in a down economy. He has to learn all new accounts and get to know all of his reps, and he has to immediately start creating a healthy and productive team culture. Luckily, Abe is incredibly dedicated, talented, brilliant, courteous and hard working–as everyone who has ever worked with him can attest. He is going to do an incredible job this year, and he is putting in everything he’s got to be an asset for his company. Abe loves to work and would work all the time if he didn’t also have a family. He puts in long hours and I am always in awe of his work ethic.
- Abe gets along with everyone. I am grateful that Abe gets along with literally everyone, because that is not something I always do well. I admire how he gives everyone in his life the benefit of the doubt. He has a generous nature and is the hardest person on earth to offend. In the same vein, he forgives easily and immediately. Abe puts a lot of effort into his relationships, and I appreciate that he is deeply embedded in so many loving networks. He meets regularly on Zoom with his AXB friends, all of whom date back to college and some as far back as kindergarten. He also keeps in touch with many of his high school friends, and he puts a lot of effort into doing activities with the friends who live close to us now. He skies, fishes, plays frisbee, bikes, plays Pickleball, plays games, and goes out for meals with friends. He shows up when they invite him to things. He makes a point to regularly call his friends and family on the phone just to catch up, and when he has friends who struggles he is there for them no matter what. Abe shines in all of his relationships, and no one could ask for a better friend than Abe.
- Abe treats me like I am a queen. I know that sounds like a very dated cliche, but there’s actually no more accurate way to describe his approach to me. And it goes without saying that I do not deserve the way he views and treats me, but wow am I grateful every day for his love. He is the most loving, generous, warm, affectionate husband. He makes me laugh every single day, and he also compliments me generously every single day. The narrative he spins about me to me is completely the opposite narrative I spin for myself, so sometimes it’s a bit of a mind bend living with someone who views me so positively, but it’s also incredibly nice. Being married to Abe is the greatest, and I believe from my heart that if every person treated their partner the way Abe treats me, there would basically be no more problems left in the world.
I was so excited that so many of our friends and family could come together to celebrate Abe and show him how much we love and value him. Abe spent a lot of his birthday party teaching various kids how to ice fish and visiting with friends and family, of course. It was so fun and we both had an amazing time. Abe also wants me to note that they caught 37 fish! (J/k. They didn’t catch any, but did that discourage my positive, optimistic husband? Not a chance!)
Here are more of Abe’s gifts from the kids:
