Years ago, for my 27th birthday, Pamela put together a list of 27 things that she loved about me. It was such a sweet gesture, and one of the nicest birthday presents ever. This year, for Pamela’s 32nd birthday, I made a list of 32 things I loved about Pamela.
- Her Smile. She had the kindest and most infectious smile. It would brighten the room and make all those around her smile as well.
- Love for the kids. She loved them with all her heart and you could tell by the things she said and the things she would do for them.
- Sense of style. She had such good personal style in the clothes she would wear, the jewelery, hair, and makeup. Everything worked together and it was always a classy, timeless look. Never over the top trendy, just plain good style that looked as good today as it would 10 years from now.
- Style for me and for the kids. It’s no surprise that Pamela was in charge of picking out the clothes for the rest of the family as well. She made sure we were all looking good.
- Driven with her career. She was always a great businesswoman and worker. She focused and worked so hard at her job. She was going to go back to full time at her job once the kids were in school. She wanted to continue to have a fulfilling career outside of the house.
- Saving Money. She was such a good saver. Together we were a savings machine. Saving for a down payment, new cars, vacations, you name it. We would set our goals and get there every time. We also had such a good head start on the kids college funds and our retirement funds.
- Her body. She had an amazing physique that any woman would be proud of, let alone a mother of 2 kids. She was dedicated and worked at it. She watched her diet, drank lots of water, and made sure to be active as much as possible.
- Patience. Any parent can understand how patience is such an important quality. Even when the kids weren’t quite behaving she would remain calm and kind with them.
- Competitive spirit (but always in a good way). She loved to play games and compete and wanted to be the best at whatever we were doing or playing. But no matter the outcome or who was winning, she was always encouraging and having fun.
- Love for helping others. The entire time I knew her and before that she really loved helping others. She made it a priority and found time to help others even when our lives were busy and hectic.
- Kindness. I have never met anyone so kind. She would always show compassion and caring for everyone no matter who they were or where we were.
- Holiday spirit. I loved this about her because it complemented my lack of spirit for most holidays. She was great about decorating and doing fun activities surrounding each holiday and it really taught me to enjoy them more.
- Generosity. Among the many things Pamela taught me, this was another one. She set a great example for me of how a person can and should be generous towards others. With time, money, and other resources.
- Sense of humor. Hard to describe this one other than we could always make each other laugh and smile :)
- Supportive. She was always my biggest supporter and advocate. Pamela always had my back and wanted nothing more than for me to succeed at my goals.
- Fun. I think it was because of her attitude, she could make anything fun. If you’re positive and looking to have a good time, then you will certainly find it no matter what you’re doing.
- Toughness/Wellness. Even when me and the kids and everyone around us would come down with the flu or a cold, somehow Pamela would stay well. I was thankful for this many times because we all needed someone to stay well and keep things running.
- Beautiful. She was so beautiful. :)
- Fair and Moral. Maybe because she was a middle child she had such a strong grasp on what was the most fair and moral route in any situation. She was a good compass to turn to in tricky situations and I could always trust her judgement.
- Video Games. I loved that she enjoyed playing video games. We would sometimes play together but also played separately at times. Her favorite games were time management games like the Delicious series. Our favorite video game to play together was Guitar Hero.
- Good Listener. Always attentive and interested in what you had to say. She truly cared about the conversations and would remember the things you talked about.
- Adventurous. She was always willing to try something new. Sometimes experiences and often times new restaurants. This was one of those things I loved about her because it complemented my personality so well. Her adventurousness helped open me up as a person.
- Happy. Not a fake kind of happy either. She was genuinely happy a majority of the time. I loved being around her because she was so happy it just made me happier being close to her and doing things with her.
- Good Dancer. It’s how we met after all. She asked me to dance and it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.
- Good Singer & Rapper. This was a bit of a secret talent of Pamela’s; definitely something you wouldn’t guess judging by her appearance. She was a surprisingly good rapper. I think she knew all the songs from the 90s but knew some modern songs as well.
- Her love for Jordan. Before the kids, she treated Jordan like our child. She always made sure Jordan was very well cared for and felt loved. There’s a reason why Jordan would follow Pamela around and it wasn’t just for the treats. Pamela loved her and Jordan loved her back.
- Pamela would get up first thing in the morning with the kids on the weekends so I could sleep in a little bit before breakfast. It was only an extra hour but it would make a big difference in my energy level throughout the day.
- Pamela would keep me up to date on entertainment and social items that I had no idea about. She knew all the details about events going on and would organize our calendar with things to do. Without her, I would have been a lot more isolated from the outside world.
- She would always stand up for me and make sure I was treated with respect by everyone. Nothing would get her more fired up than if someone treated me poorly. I know she would do anything to make sure I was protected emotionally and physically at all times.
- Pamela had such a caring group of friends and family around her. Pamela cultivated a great network of people that she loved and that loved her back. They all welcomed me in as one of their own and continue to care for and support Ryan, Audrey, and me.
- Pamela was so good about documenting our lives. She suggested we start a blog. She took most of the pictures and videos that I have of our family today. It never got in the way and she was always able to take a picture or remember details to write down later. I appreciate it and I know the kids will appreciate the ability to look back on the memories from their first few years.
- Pamela was such an amazing person in so many ways, it was hard to narrow down this list. We were all very fortunate to have known her and have her in our lives. I was incredibly lucky to be able to call her my wife. She was my best friend and she completed me as a person. I loved her with all of my heart and she loved me the same. We made each other so happy and I will always cherish the time we had together.
