Definitions Not Found in Wikipedia

Mikayla helping daddy with the Laundry

     When I was an adolescent & a younger man, I liked to think that I wasn't defined by anything.  I thought of myself as very adaptable, and I simply didn't like to "labeled".  I wanted to be known for many different things, and not one particular thing or another.  I had this thought as I was walking around the house doing a little laundry yesterday with Mikayla: "What DEFINES you?".  It came into my mind like you would expect to hear from a commercial on a marketing campaign like Nike.   So I decided to entertain that thought for awhile, and starting thinking that as I grow older I have more things in my life that define me.  I am defined as husband, as father, as son, as grandson, as friend, by my career, etc.  I am defined by the moments, days, and years of my life to this point.  Moments like what college I attended, the day I got married, and the flood of May 2010.  These moments have thus shaped my life and defined who I am.
    One such moment was hearing the doctor come in after our second ultrasound of the day with a specialist (when we knew something was wrong) and telling us that our baby had Dandy Walker Syndrome.  She explained to us what this meant for our child and the possible very difficult scenarios, and asked us at that moment if we would like to abort our child.  She then left to give us some time to think and talk it over.  Honestly, when she left the room I was in shock, and I know Heather was too.  I felt like I was in one of those war movies after the bomb goes off, and all you hear is the silence and the ringing in your ears.  Heather remained surprisingly calm (I thought she would break down), and we had a moment that would define.  We didn't believe in abortion as an option, but things are a lot different when you are the one sitting in that chair and it has become more real than a philosophical debate after a few drinks with your friends.  We said YES to Mikayla, and trusted that God had a plan for our lives he was yet to reveal.  I became defined in that moment as a parent of a special needs child.  So what defines us is not just those moments in our lives, but those moments in the lives of those who came before us.  The choices my grandparents and my parents make, define me as well.  I wouldn't be here if they had made different choices, and neither would Mikayla  Mikayla begins her life and journey with one more definition than I did.  She begins her life with the definition of special needs.  It will be up to her and God what she does with that definition.  I no longer run from my definitions, but I embrace them as part of who I am.  What truly defines me is Love.  Love for my daughter, my wife, my family, or my fellow man.  After all, "God is love." 1 John 4:8.
     So I leave you today with a fictional quote from John Nash, when he won the Nobel Peace Prize on his work on Game Theory in the movie A Beautiful Mind.   From what I understand, he did not actually make this speech publicly.  Nevertheless I love the quote: 

 "I've always believed in numbers. In the equations and logics that lead to reason; but after a lifetime of such pursuits I ask, what truly is logic? Who decides reason? My quest has taken me through the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional and back, and I have made the most important discovery of my career... the most important discovery of my life. It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logical reasons can be found."

CLICK HERE if you would like to see the clip from the movie.

A special thanks today to all those who came before me, and even those of you who came after.  Thank you to my and Heather's grandparents, parents, siblings, and relatives.  All of you (both living and those who have passed), along with Heather & Mikayla are all my reasons for definition.