A Mother's Day Lesson About FV and VORP

by WB

Some people may not know that we have nicknamed Lincoln and Reagan our little buddy and bunny. They are the cutest little pair. If I am ever feeling tired, frustrated, or just down, they quickly send me into a happy spell. Reagan is a nurturing little girl and always wants to make sure her brother is okay. Lincoln is a sweet little boy that can send his love with a sweet look to his parents. I love that I have great kids. They make me so happy.

As I have gotten older I have picked up a few tidbits of knowledge along the way. Things like

1. Don't eat over easy eggs and then go run sprints. (If you don't understand, try it)
2. Father in laws get a bad rap for a reason
3. Chick Fil A has the best french fries of any fast food chain.
4. Don't always say what you are thinking.

And most importantly...

5. I could not begin to do all that Julie does to teach and raise our children.

I have thought about this from a couple of perspectives. In my business world I always think of the cost of replacement. It is easier to pin down the cost of my replacement. Just take your best guess of my future income stream and calculate the present value. When I think of women it isn't that easy. Julie's present value of future income doesn't tell the story for a few reasons. Her income is 0. More indicative of her value is the ability to replace. Baseball has a stat called VORP, value over replacement player. I often joke that Ellen has negative VORP on American Idol. She replaced Paula and added less to show. In fact she took away from it. My VORP compared to Julie would be even worse. If I tried to replace or do what Julie could do I would be eternally lost. She somehow finds the patience to put up with Reagan even when she is being super whiny or when Lincoln bites her leg. I would lose it pretty quick. I would go crazy with all the crying and constant requests and needs.

I am built like most men. I naturally think of myself first. What makes Julie and all good mothers special is that they can think of their children before themselves. Julie has a beautiful love for her children. When I see her love for them I think of our Heavenly Father. Her love is the closest I have seen on Earth to HIS. I know she would do anything for them like He would for us. She is a wonderful example to me.

One of my favorite things to do when I meet people is to show them a picture of my family. I do this because I love my family and because I love their reaction. I always, without fail, receive the response, "How did you get her to marry you?" I usually joke about my sales skills but in truth I don't know. I am blessed and I am grateful to have her in my life. She really is everything she seems to be. I love being on her team. We have so much fun together. Some times are good and some are tough, but we are an eternal family and love being together. She's the greatest and she needs to know it. Love you babe!