If you know my family at all, you have seen this plastered over every form of social media the last 48 hours. My brother and his wife are having a GIRL. A GIRL. Guys, I'm going to have a NIECE!
I know they are excited. Chris and Aimee are going to be such good parents. Such good parents that as I stood there after the big surprise had been revealed, I leaned over to my mom and whispered, "Chris is going to be such a good dad to a little girl." She agreed with me. And if you know me very well, you know what happened next. I cried a little. Not nearly as much as I just cried when I read his blog, but I did tear up.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris and I are eight years apart. He moved to a land far far away (Columbia) when I was 10 years old. Regardless, I have so many good memories fun times with him, even after he left for college. Chris once took me to see the movie, "Like Mike." Remember that movie? Okay, so what teenager wants to go with their eight year old sister to see a movie about Lil' Bow Wow finding a pair of tennis shoes?
Now, my parents may have paid him off to take me to that movie, I really don't know. But there are a lot more memories that lead me to think that wasn't the case. I always felt like I had a good relationship with Chris. Even when I didn't see him for an extended amount of time because he was at college, I always felt close to him. I called him "Dadoo," meaning "Dad # two" for a good portion in my life. I think finally changed his name in my phone to just "Chris" I think around the time I came to college.
Anyways, I don't think until recently, maybe until I moved up to Columbia, I realized why I always felt like Chris was such a good brother. Chris is following the Lord. He has devoted his life to serving on a college campus in order to bring people to Christ. Probably one of the hardest jobs I could think of doing.
Without the Lord, sure, I think my brother would be a good, nice person. But he is rooted in Christ and that's what he is going to lead his family by. The Lord is who he looks for when he needs strength, who leads him, who he knows died for his sins, and will have grace for his mistakes. And that's why I think he is going to be such a good dad.
Congratulations, Chris and Aimee. You are both going to be great parents.
I'm so happy to have a niece.
