Mark, My Words

I'm married.

It dawned on me this morning that, if my digital presence were all you knew of me, you wouldn't necessarily know this fact.

So, allow me to introduce you to Mark Dale Holt, a man of quiet courage (a quarter century of living with me--it boggles the imagination!), kindness and quality.  Mark is not a man who seeks the limelight, which means that he does not have a Facebook page.  But, if he did, I would "like" all kinds of things about his status:

--Getting the purely superficial out of the way, I would "Like" his chiseled good looks, despite his belief that he is trending toward AARP-tinged influences.

-- I also would "Like" his steadiness of character, a quality that is not to be taken lightly, and one that I depend upon each morning, spending not a whit of time wondering who will show up today.

--If Mark had a Facebook page, I would "Like" our afternoon walks.  Sure, I like Finn the dog, but, really, these afternoon walks have more to do with Mark and me catching up and being silly than they do with encouraging Finn to poop on someone else's lawn.

--Despite what he may think, I would even "Like" Mark's odd and growing collection of antique office paraphernalia that threatens to overtake the Man Room.  Last week, he gave a tour of his collection to the men in our Movie Night crowd.  Lorvey, one of those men, commented afterwards:  "You know, Mark is a quiet man.  But he's got great stuff to share with the world."  I agree.

--Mark would also get an enthusiastic "Like" from me in the "parenting" department.  Every day, he is present, he is steady, he is gentle and loving, he is funny.  Over and over, Mark is a quiet example of how a man can be an excellent husband and father.  I trust that this kind of modeling will greatly influence our children's future decisions.

Mark periodically follows my Digital Road Trips, although, when I mentioned to him that this morning's edition would feature him, I wondered if he would steer clear of this one.  Too bad if he does, because he deserves this tiny, digital spotlight, the one that warms in his presence.  The one he never craves but truly deserves.