The Tale of Two Lowes

In our family, we like to do birthdays in groups. Rounding out August, the tale of two Lowes.


Dad, August 27
I've been sitting here trying to figure out what awesomeness about my Dad I want to write. Maybe how he taught me baseball or that he threw me a surprise party when I was 13. Maybe that he helped me write and deliver a million Girl Scout Cookie thank you letters. Or that he makes the best shrimp dinners ever.

But then I thought the best thing Dad ever did, probably unknowingly, was teach me what I wanted in my husband. Both in a serious and in a light-hearted way.

(And even though I'm a writer by trade, I'm on my sixth or seventh rendition of what I'm want to say. It isn't coming out eloquently so to heck with it, you're getting it in semi-ugly raw form.)

My Dad is an independent, confident guy. So confident that he's always had the ability to support Mom and her independence. It never intimidated him to be married to a strong woman. I never got the impression that a husband should do anything but encourage his wife to be a rockstar. I've realized in the past few years that not all guys can do that and it really makes me appreciate that Dad modeled that type of support and built in me that expectation. And while I know in my head that not all marriages are the same, it sometimes still kinda surprises me how many are very traditional with the man wearing the pants and being the boss (not that that's wrong, different strokes for different folks...geesh, I told you it wasn't going to be eloquent). I'm so thankful that I didn't grow up with that model and being a strong woman with a supportive and equally strong husband seems entirely normal to me.

And on a lighter note, Dad's all boy. Baseball, tools, cars and grit. I needed a hubby with more baseball knowledge and handier handy-man skills than me.* Snakes, snails and puppy dog tails as the rhyme goes.

(Obviously Ross fits the bill to a tee and he and I are both very thankful that Dad molded my husband expectations to be exactly who Ross is. Quite convenient.)

Grandma, August 29
Just about 30 years before Dad was born, Grandma was born. And she is fantastic. Here's just a few of the reasons I think she's tops.

• We did more art projects at her house than you can shake a stick at.
• She used to take me on shopping sprees to the dollar store. I could have anything I wanted!
• Her pineapple upsidedown cake is heavenly.
• Not even chemo could stop her from coming to my college graduation.
• She beat the hell out of breast cancer. You go girl.

*I may be independent but that doesn't mean I want to mow the lawn or fix the garage door. Frankly, if I wasn't married I'd employ my financial independence to deal with those things. A handy-husband who can answer my occasional baseball question though, is much more fun.