I never thought I'd become a father but I am so grateful that I am. When I asked my wife, Wendy, to marry me 43 years ago, she thankfully said yes. At the same time, she was honest enough to let me know that we would never have children because she was a Type 1 juvenile diabetic. She told me that she was diagnosed at seven years old and having a child would be too dangerous to her health. I Ioved her so much I didn't even think twice about marrying her. Having her in my life would be enough!
Nine years later Wendy came to me and said she wanted to try to have a child. We checked in with the doctors, and they gave us their blessing but laid out the considerable risks. Because of Wendy's courage, on June 8, 1983 I became a father. Unfortunately, Wendy was bed ridden and temporarily lost lost her eyesight, which thankfully returned. Meanwhile, Ashley was born ten weeks premature with a 50-50 chance to make it. Twenty-three days later she came home from the hospital in doll clothes.
While being father was never an expectation, I can't imagine life without Ashley. She has been an incredible joy in my life and now I even have three grandchildren to spoil. They are the reason the name OGO came about! On Father's Day, I look forward to having Ashley and her family over and barbecuing her favorite meal: chicken with my secret BBQ recipe. I know we will have lots of laughs and share our love for each other. Outside of marrying Wendy, being a father has been the biggest blessing in my life. The love you have for your child is unimaginable until you have one. I'm a really happy father every Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all and remember to take time to recognize all of the amazing Dads out there!
Always Looking for OGOs,
David Novak