This baby could come any day now. Its due date is 10 days away. If it's a boy, his name will be Womack Hopson Sanford. He will be called "Mack."
His name will be all family--my maiden name coupled with Will and his father's middle name. I love that the name is a perfect merger of Will and me. That Mack will have a name from both his mother and father. I love that Womack will be kept alive with him, because it would have otherwise died with my getting married. I love that he would be the third consistent generation of Sanford men with "Hopson" as a middle name.
Mostly, though, I love the men for whom he will be named.
William Gregory Womack will be an awesome grandfather--but oh to see him with a little boy! Although he'll tell you he had "the best of both worlds" with two girls who were tomboys, he also says that if "God himself" had guaranteed his third child would be a boy, he would have gone for it! Bless him, he would have spent more time playing with GI Joe action figures than gluing the heads back on my Barbie and Ken dolls. I'd love for him to have a grandson. I'm told Dad was an energetic child who got into things...a typical boy. I'm also told that through high school and college, though never jumping too far over the line, he pushed the limits on what was kosher and acceptable. Some of that hasn't changed. Dad still has a lot of energy he has to get out of his system, hence his regimented daily workout routine. He also, at least in the 32 years I've known him, hasn't always stuck to what is "kosher and acceptable." I'm not sure that it's kosher to turn down promotions at work in order to be able to spend more time with your wife and coach your kids' rec league teams. I'm not sure that it's "socially acceptable" to spend more time making sure your family is spiritually and practically secure rather than trying to keep up with the rest of the community. And frankly, I don't know who in the WORLD pledges SAE at Auburn and never takes a drop of alcohol. Greg Womack is not like every other man, and thank God for that. I think he's the greatest man in the world (over the age of 32) and hope his grandson takes on his "differences."
James Hopson Sanford will tell you with complete sincerity that he's "just a cotton farmer from Prattville, Alabama." This is about as accurate as Peyton Manning describing himself as a "just a guy who likes to throw the football now and then." Before I met Jimmy Sanford, I wasn't sure "renaissance men" still existed. Trust me, they do. At least one does. With interests and expertise ranging from agriculture to business to higher education to real estate to sports, there's not a whole lot Jimmy cannot do or hasn't done. And while I swell with pride each time one of his accomplishments is pointed out to me, it's not those accomplishments that would make me proud for my son to bear his name. Jimmy Sanford the resume is impressive. However, I can assure you that Jimmy Sanford the father, father in law, and grandfather is even better. I'm coming up on four years of knowing Jimmy. That's not very long, but it's long enough to know I won the father in law jackpot. It's long enough to have seen the trust, confidence, and pride Jimmy takes in Will as he runs the farm. It's long enough to have seen (on multiple occasions) Jimmy drive over to our house in the freezing cold or pouring rain to deliver us a "to go plate" from a family meal we missed. It's long enough to have learned that although he'll never push anything on me, he is always there as a listening ear and a second dad when I want to process something. And it's long enough to know that if his grandson is half the man he is, I'll be a proud mother!
William Hopson Sanford is the love of my life. He is the man God created perfectly for me and there truly is not a day that goes by that I do not stand in amazement at God's sovereignty in bringing us together. Will is the calm to my frenzy. He is the patience to my hurry. He is the detail oriented to my "let's rush through and just get it done." He is the laid back to my planner. He is the quiet to my loud and he is the happy being back stage to my "performer" personality. I hope our son would inherit all of this from his dad (with just a TOUCH of my planner side so we aren't always late). I also hope that our son would inherit his dad's gentle spirit, sacrificial work ethic, tender heart, servant leadership, and ability to see others with the eyes of Christ. On the surface level, I wouldn't hate it if Mack had his dad's curly hair, long eye lashes, and tan skin tone either. His dance moves, sense of humor, and ability to rock a bow tie would be even greater added bonuses! Will is going to be an amazing father--I get more and more excited each day to have a front row seat to this. And if this baby is a boy, I hope he grows up to be just like his dad!
Womack Hopson Sanford will have a lot to live up to, but he'll also have these three men to look up to as well. If he ends up a nice blend of all 3 of his namesakes, he'll be doing just fine.
