09/05/2026
Happy National Beard Day!
Meet Nathan.
My person. My confidant. Our rock and all around one of the very best put on this earth. I distinctly remember being a little girl, hiding behind a couch during one of my stepdad's abusive benders and praying fervently with my eyes closed that God would give me someone to marry who would be good always. I didn't date much growing up. We moved a lot, and I wasn't exactly the cool kid. I certainly had no self-esteem. So, when I got to college and found Nathan almost immediately, I was in shock how easy a relationship was. I think we knew pretty quick that what we had was incredibly special. And now it's been 25 years. A quarter of a century. And more than half of my lifetime with this guy. {I'll just take a quick, teary moment of complete gratitude here.}
He is everything good and more. He centers my world and honors all of my crazy ideas. This guy supports my growth and was probably the only reason I had enough courage to start a business of my own, because he reminds me of all the good I am, believes in me wholeheartedly, and has shown me time and time again what it looks like to believe in myself and my abilities. When my emotions get the best of me, he has a way of calmly laying everything out so smoothly and ends it all with a long hug. Wise always, completely trustworthy, and with a very quick wit. He worries how he is perceived because he is often quiet in social situations, but when you get to know him, you will find out just what a quick mind he has. And he is funny. Hard, rolling belly laughs funny. It never gets old. We love spending time together, genuinely. Every night, he sits in the office with me while I edit and he paints.
Nathan is brilliant in the arts. He was a printmaker in college, and I spent a lot of nights in the art building with him while he worked through the night. His art still hangs in the halls at ISU. He lost his full ride scholarships to master's programs in the US and in Canada because he came home to help his family with their business during a medical crisis right after graduation without a second thought. While he helped run the business, he picked up a Master's in Education and added Graphic Design classes to his degree in the meantime. Now, the man wins multiple national awards a year for his work in design.
You would never know these things about him if I hadn't told you. He is humble, calm, steady. Gentle, insightful, and so pure of heart. You will be hard pressed to hear him complain or speak ill of another. If you know him, then you know true kindness and loyalty. My husband is one of the very best, and what a good-looking beard you have, sir! How lucky are we to have you?!?
