Why My Husband is My Hero: Part 1

In honor of Guatemalan Father's Day next Friday, June 17th, I thought I'd write why I appreciate my husband, who is also an awesome father.

1. He waited until marriage for me, and appreciated that I did for him.
2. He is not overwhelmed or easily emotionalized into decisions. He is good at analyzing facts and then standing by what he believes.
3. He goes out of his way to make sure he says words that build his family up every day.
4. He is a family man. He doesn't look for ways to get out of his responsibilities, but actually finds ways to appreciate them most of the time.
5. He is a problem solver. If something doesn't work, he will either find a way to make it work or figure out a better solution.
6. He pushes himself. He's not satisfied with where he is in some areas in life, and he takes the time to make sequential goals that he knows he can follow that will benefit both him and our family as a whole.
7. He believes in me and gives me the freedom to believe in myself. When I was too scared to exercise by myself he helped me come up with solutions. Without his encouragement, I would probably still be overweight.
8. He is a generally happy person! It's a blessing to live with another human being who knows how to express himself without yelling or forcing others to do things. He knows how to state things showing what is most reasonable and to do it in a nice way.
9. He's a hard worker. I'm glad I am not married to a man that I have to worry will not go to work and support his family or will spend all of the money on his own desires. He is always looking for new ways to diversify his skills so that he is even more marketable and able to be an even better provider.
10. He has big dreams. Sometimes he dreams so big and so broad that I have trouble keeping up with him! But it's an amazing journey being his help-meet, we never know what adventure we will get to participate in next!
11. He is super intelligent. He speaks 3 languages. He reads voraciously. He writes crazily complicated and amazing things as easily as he breathes. He has several degrees that he never brags about. He has a calculator for a brain. His brain is huge.
12. He is humble. Even with so many things that he could brag about, he doesn't. Instead of always talking about himself to other people, he listens to them and what they have to offer. He is not too proud to admit that he is wrong sometimes and that he can learn from others.
13. He is a good father. Though he is always busy, he makes time to play ball, read with our daughter or to just have what they call "intelligent conversations." ;) These can be about anything and they usually end up laughing over each others perceptions.
14. He is strong. I never wanted a man that couldn't physically stand up for himself. In Guatemala, he is heads and shoulders above other men, literally. This comes in handy because nobody wants to try to assault him. He can pick me up if there's an emergency. Strong arms give good hugs. ;)
15. He's handsome. Handsome men make cute babies. ;)

I will leave this "part 1" on purpose, because I know that the longer we our married, I will keep finding more things to appreciate about him.

It's a blessing to have supportive, amazing husbands and father's in our lives. I know I'm not the only woman blessed with one.

Many of the father's in Guatemala work very labor-intensive jobs every single day to support their very large families. Many of them get up before daylight to go to the river to dig sand to put into bags that will later be used to make cement. They are often bowed over before their time due to the hard work and constant struggle to make ends meet. If you would like to support Guatemalan father's who are doing everything they can and still have trouble bringing home enough, I would encourage you to visit MayanFamilies.org to see how you can use as little as $5 to change a Guatemalan families life for a week. According to their website, here is a list of items people need and how much your money can buy:


$35    Large Basket of Food
$80    100 lb of Black Beans
$5       Carton of 30 Eggs
$54     Baby Formula for babies 12 months and under for 1 month
$30     Milk for infants 12 months and older for 1 month
$45     Double Mattress
$170   Bed and Mattress
$160   Onil Stove
$60     Ecocina portable Stove
$110   Wooden Table & Chairs
$95/$100    Traditional Clothing
$8        Traditional Belt
$30     Leather Shoes
$5       Plastic Shoes
$6       Umbrella
$115     Pila, a two sided cement wash basin - sink for Washing
$170     Family Wardrobe
$150     Food to feed a family for one month
$35     100 lb bag of Corn (This makes tortillas for a family of five, 3 meals a day, for approximately two weeks)
$40     Egg Laying Hens  (These provide a family with a supplemental income and food)
$12/15     Rain boots Child / Adult
$30     Tradition Cloth Baby Carrier
$25  Family Health Pack (Family of 5) Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Kotex, Soap, Clothes detergent, Dishwashing detergent.
$25     Traditional Apron
$20   Blankets
$40    Water Filter Replacements
$20    Kids Soccer Jersey, long lasting.
$80    Hope Chest