Good men, bad men, big men, small men….

Describe a man who has positively impacted your life.

This prompt was almost a no go for me this morning. As some who follow my posts already know, I had a complicated childhood. I have spent many years learning to live with the past, learning to accept the present and learning to not control the future.

Growing up, there were both many and few men in my life. By that, I mean, thanks to my mom’s choices, there were many men who passed through my life, but few who were around for any length of time. Relationships, in some cases, were forged, then quickly gone. Some of those men were truly good, others not so much.

The only man who was a constant in my life, from birth all the way through to early adulthood, was my Grampa. He was also a complicated person, but he was a good man. Knowing some of the things I do now that I couldn’t see as a child, he was nothing less than saintly. Yes, Grampa had a huge impact on my life, and played a giant roll in forming the person I am today, but I’m not going to focus on him in this post. While he definitely deserves an honorable mention, I am choosing to go in a different direction here.

Instead, I want to focus on the many other men who passed through my life over the years. The ones who couldn’t stay, wouldn’t stay, or were just pushed away. Each one of them had his good qualities and bad qualities. Some were fun loving, others serious. Some were friendly, others were hard to like.

All of them brought something into my life that contributed to my present. Whether it was a kind word, or a harsh lesson, each one of them had a positive impact because he helped move me along my journey. They were like NPCs in a video game, providing vital knowledge or provision, but not participating in the real action.

Yes, although I have only had two real heroes in my life, my Grampa and Brad, all the other men who I passed along the journey of life became a part of my character and my experience. I am grateful for the friendships, the lessons, and the trials they brought. Even the worst of them had a positive impact on the me I am today. I am utterly thankful to God for all the men he has given me to meet along the way.