Today is my husband David’s birthday. He probably won’t be thrilled that I’m telling you that he is the grand age of 41 today. But that is not the only thing I’m going to tell you.

For most of you who are acquainted with David there are certain things I could tell you that would not come as a surprise. But even some of his best-known characteristics come with a few hidden details.

An avid Ole Miss fan, David and our son Matthew can be found on campus every home game, and he usually lets Holly skip school once a year to get in a Rebel basketball game. Not a surprise that Matthew is also considered to be an Rebel fan; his dad has invested a lot of time and patience into this. When Matthew was 4 David began taking him to Oxford with a backpack full of toys. For that entire season Matthew played with his Ninja Turtles and Matchbox cars and David got to see a least half of a game. The other half was spent climbing the huge magnolia tree in the Grove and walking on campus. Obviously that has been time well invested, as his son has been known to turn down other offers to continue this tradition with his dad.

You might even know that David worked while he was in college. What you probably don’t know is that for a while he had a job in one of the science labs at University Hospital. It payed well, allowed him to learn, and the hours were good. In other words, it didn’t interfere with our dating schedule.

Two days after placing my engagement ring on lay-away the grant was cut and David was without a job.

It never occurred to him to call his parents and ask for the money. He immediately got out the want ads, began looking, and soon had himself not one, but two jobs. In the morning he sold pest control contracts, door to door. By the end of the summer they were promoting him and asking him if he would consider staying on with the company.

In the evening he worked the telephones for a telemarketing company. As some of you know he is completely deaf in one ear. That meant he had to keep the phone up to his good ear for hours on end. Now you know why he hates to answer the phone and is gruff on the other end.

I will never forget as his parents, Joyce and Bobby, hugged us and congratulated us on our engagement, the pride in David’s face when he told them not to worry about the ring. It was paid for.

It is not an accident that we live and work in Natchez. That September evening many years ago when he got down on his knee (yes, the old-fashioned way) and asked me to marry him he told me that it had always been his dream to go home to Natchez and practice medicine.

Maybe you are one of his many patients who tell me how caring he is as a physician. This is something I have known for years. You see, 10 months after we married my mother passed away. A week after the funeral I was still stumbling around our house in my bathrobe, refusing to eat, sleep or go to work. David took the time off from medical school to take care of me. He literally put me in the shower, dressed me and sent me back out into the world. It was done without his ever raising his voice or uttering a cross word.

Sounding a little too perfect? Not to worry, he has a few faults. As an only child he really cannot stand to share even a candy bar much less the best TV spot on the couch. But his faults are few and are far outweighed by his good qualities.

Happy birthday David, I love you, your children love you and we know that we are the luckiest family in the world.

Christina Hall is the lifestyle editor at The Democrat. She can be reached at 445-3549 or by e-mail at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com