"The Preacher" in Charleston last week
There’s a chapter in my new book, “REACHING TOWARD EASTER” (Upper Room Books – September 2011), where I ask the following rhetorical question: ”What do Rebekah (my wife), Naomi (my daughter) and Scout (Rebekah’s fuzzy, galumphing, 75 pound labradoodle) have in common? Warning, this is a hard one.” (pictures lined up to the right…)
Here’s how it goes from there:
First off, they’re all girls! Right… but that was the easy answer.
"The Daughter" last week
The characteristic I’m getting at would actually be fairly obvious if you knew them. They all have a pure, “What you see is what you get” approach to life. Put another way, there’s not an ounce of pretense among them.
This means they don’t play games (well, Scout likes to play “tug the rope”, and “chase the dog if you ever want to see your wallet alive again”, and Naomi’s pretty good at pool – but that’s not the kind of game-playing I’m talking about).
What I’m talking about is their “lack of duplicity” quality.
"The Labradoodle" this afternoon!
It’s a “Let’s not waste time with airs and political correctness” approach to life. It’s all about their “Cut to the chase why don’t we?” response to most everything (Okay, Scout likes to play chase but that’s something else too).
It’s a kind of purity, but not really – maybe more like the gift of living without half-measures or enjoying relationships without the cloudiness of compromise; it’s resisting the urge to allow cynicism any room at all.
It’s about authenticity. It’s about being real.
THE ABOVE IS ONE MORE REASON I’m excited that “The Preacher’s Husband” is – soon – going to be a Grandaddy! If my theory holds, and this “Authenticity” principle gets concentrated more and more the further down the food chain it goes (you know, like mercury in a tuna-fish), then the much-anticipated debut of David Henry Campbell into this world is going to involve one extremely “shoot-from-the-hip” child who will be something to behold… and experience!
And – get this – his Grandmother is a Preacher!
THIS WEEK, “The Preacher” is in Connecticut, helping to put together the nursery for David Henry’s arrival in October. I’m getting a lot done in terms of writing, but it is so much better to be together. Rebekah and I have been married almost 32 years, and we enjoy each other’s company as much today – if not more so – as when we first met.
I know some guys who like to get some time away from their wives. “I get to do stuff I can’t get away with otherwise!” one told me. Well I’ve got to be honest, I can’t think of anything from this week I wouldn’t be comfortable with Rebekah knowing about (with the possible exception of that entire pizza I ate last night!). I’m keeping the kitchen spotless, I’m making the bed every morning, I’m on top of the laundry, I plan on vacuuming Friday, and even Scout is going to be fluffed up and pristine when Rebekah’s plane gets in Friday night.
But you know what? It all feels fairly pointless when Rebekah’s not here to share it with me.
That’s life here in The Preacher’s house. It’s just better to be together.
Rebekah, Derek, Naomi (David Henry), Craig
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