There is no more important man in my life then my son, Benjamin Gregory Nelson. He is the last of our family to carry the Nelson name. He has my first name as well. Names matter. They have tremendous meaning, and from the beginning of time they are the fingerprints of our life.
Ben is a leader, extremely bright, hard working and responsible. You can take his word to the bank. Meticulous in everything to which he sets his hand, he understands the balance of work and family. Intentional in the continuum of maintaining that difficult balance, Ben is lovingly supportive of his wife, Emily, and their daughter, Maya. He is also an amazing musician, well versed as a drummer (majored in percussion), bass and keyboard player. Ben played in the renowned indoor drum-line, Music City Mystique, that won the World Championship in two of the years he participated. He also drove his sister crazy when they were growing up….They’re still crazy about each other….a great feeling for any parent.
I particularly enjoy his agile humor, and secretly love all of the teasing he issues me. I learned a lot about his love of family in one particular incident. When my niece, Holly Nelson went missing in what turned out to be a tragic boating accident, Ben was in his first days of training for his company in Florida. They pursued him through a barrage of interviews and flew him to another city to determine if he was the right fit for them. He was, they hired him and his initial training was to follow immediately. This is exactly when he found out his cousin was missing.
He spoke to the company representative and told them the situation, but the training was imperative. He made a decision to look for Holly, even though it could cost him this wonderful opportunity of a newfound job. He came to Nashville and searched for her until she was found. The company kept him. They saw the same thing we do…His love and loyalty to family…. for that is precisely the qualities they want for their company.
Pam and I are proud of Ben for so many reasons. We pray that God would watch over both of our children and their families. The last thing I told Ben every night after praying for him as a young boy was,”You have my blessing, Benjamin.”
There are a lot of important things for Ben to know throughout his life, but I think this is possibly one of the most significant assurances I can give him. He will always have that from me… and he can count on it.
The Human Wave 