When I was a boy I always wanted to be a cowboy. I remember my Mom worrying about me getting sick from the heat in the summer, because I wore a thick blue sweater all the time. No respectable cowboy, however, would wear short sleeves so I sweated while I played. One day my parents gave me a bb gun. It looked just like a gun that all the cowboys used in the movies. I spent hours each day during those summer months shooting at stumps and pretending to be John Wayne (film actor who played tough heroes). As I was coming into the house one afternoon, though, I tried it one time too many. The gun that I thought was empty let out a soft pop and a bullet flew across the room and parted the hair of my Dad who was asleep on the couch. My Dad took one look at the bb hole a half inch above his head, walked over to me, took my gun, walked outside, and calmly broke it in half. I didn't cry too much over this. I knew how close I had come to hurting my Dad with my stupidity. I didn't expect to ever get another bb gun either. That is why I was so surprised when my Dad bought me another one the next year. I guess he thought I had wised up enough to know how to use it this time. I never put a single bb in the new gun, but in my imagination John Wayne rode again. I eventually outgrew my cowboy stage, but I never did outgrow my appreciation for my Father's forgiveness. He showed me that even when I messed up in the worse way I was still loved. He gave me another chance and let me know that I was forgiven whether I deserved it or not. He shared with me some of the unconditional love and forgiveness. May we always embrace and share that love and forgiveness as well. The author wore a thick blue sweater because   _   .
he was easy to get sick he wanted to be like a cowboy he hoped to be respected by cowboys he didn't want his mother to worry about him