Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine Father's Day Tributes | Page 70

Honoring My Man on Father’s Day and Everyday by: Angelia Vernon Menchan I’M OFTEN ASKED WHAT MAKES MY MAN SPECIAL. Often, I say, very tongue-in-cheek, he chose me. The truth is, the first thing is that he has always owned me and his feelings for me publicly. There has never been any “manly posturing” for his friends, acting as if he were too cool to say that’s my woman, my wife. He defends me against anyone, including his parents. It is clear to all who know us; I am first after God. More than that though, he loves God, he’s honorable, and he raised our sons, as hands-on as he could be while also being a professional soldier. In fact, because of that experience, he was more involved with the growth of our youngest son. He was thirteen when my husband retired, and on our drive to Florida from Oklahoma, he told me he was taking over with our son. I took some umbrage to that because I was a great mom and our eldest was in the military and at nineteen, he was also a good kid. I had mostly been the reason for that. He didn’t argue the issue, though I tried. He had said it, meant it, and planned to represent it. Once we were settled in, he was true to his word, and they started doing things together exclusive of me. I wasn’t thrilled initially but slowly saw the brilliance and results. I suddenly had more time