The Women of Duck Commander (19 page)

I come from a long line of people who value faith and family, just as the Robertsons do. From both my dad’s side, the Howards, and my mom’s side, the Shackelfords, my children and I have a generational heritage of dedicated Christians who loved the Lord, loved others, and made a big difference for God in the world around them. I am thankful for that legacy and enjoy seeing specific traits that have been passed down to our children and are helping shape them into the individuals they are today and will become in the future.

O
UR
O
WN
L
ITTLE
F
AMILY

John Luke is our firstborn. When I think of him, the first word that comes to mind is “adventurer.” He loves to meet new people and will stop by a tent revival or county fair on the side of the road in
a heartbeat. He is the first to stop and pull a truck out of a ditch or give money to someone in need. When he was a little boy, he often made elaborate maps of the woods around our house and loved to take off on his own little explorations. Whatever he is doing and in whatever circumstance, he is happy. For as long as I can remember, every time I ask him how his day was his response has always been, “
Great!
”

John Luke sees the good in life and in others. Like his dad, he is fun to be around and is quite the romantic. He loves to make others smile and plan little surprises that will make the ones he loves happy—whether that’s a friend, his girlfriend, or even his mom.

John Luke is a passionate follower of Christ. I could not have been more proud than when I looked at the “Notes” section on his iPhone and found page after page of Bible studies, favorite verses, and notes he had taken from lessons at church. John Luke believes he can change the world. He doesn’t make the excuse that since he is a teenager he is supposed to “sow his wild oats” and rebel against his parents. He’s out to make a difference, and he will. Not that he’s never irresponsible or carefree; trust me, he’s still a teenager. He has fun, is the first to jump up and get the party started, is always planning his next practical joke, and sometimes borrows Willie’s truck and brings it back on empty.

Sadie is our second-born. She is funny and kind and thoughtful. When she was a child Willie nicknamed her “the Original.” He said there has never been one like her and never will be.

Sadie keeps us laughing with her imitations of people in the family, her friends, and her teachers. She loves to sing and dance and is great at sports. I really haven’t found anything she can’t do.
She thinks about others’ feelings and seems to always know when someone needs a little encouragement. She is always there to give it through a note, a hug, or a kind word. She does certain things with each of her siblings that make them feel special, and I could not be more proud of the way our children love each other and care for one another. Sadie makes sure this happens.

Sadie loves God with all her heart, and this was evident even when she was a young child. We have a video of her “preaching” at about five years old. Standing on the coffee table in our living room, she says, “It doesn’t matter if you are a policeman or a jail person, God loves you. He wants you to be in heaven with Him.”

We watched this video recently and were amazed at the insight Sadie had at such a young age. She even went on to say, “Even if I become famous one day, I will not just love myself. I will not forget about the Lord, ’cause I know He loves me and He is there for me.” Wow! What wisdom and thoughtfulness from a five-year-old! She finished her speech with a cheer—“Let’s give it up for God!”—in the cutest singsong voice. Yep, she’s original, all right.

Will came next. He may not have grown in my stomach, but he certainly grew in my heart. Willie and I dreamed of and prayed for him from the time we were dating and knew we wanted to adopt a child someday. As soon as we saw a picture of this precious baby boy, we knew he was ours.

Will has a way of capturing the heart of everyone he meets. He makes friends in the toy section of Walmart, on the beach playing in the sand, and in the video game room at the pizza place. He has a great smile and a contagious laugh, and he remembers the name of everyone he meets. Even as a little boy he would say hi to the older
ladies at church and call them by name. They were so impressed that he knew their names; they would gush over just how special he is, and I would agree.

Will is a people person and a family guy. He loves his siblings, his cousins, and, of course, his mom and dad, and he gives the best hugs to all. He’s also got some special talents; he can beat-box and dance “Gangnam Style” like nobody’s business. He was born with a beat in his head. As a baby he played the drums on his high chair and now can sit down at his drum set and pick out a beat at the drop of a hat. He also has a beautiful singing voice, which I know he will someday use for God. I could not be more proud of the man Will is becoming and can’t wait to see what God has in store for him in the future.

Bella is the baby of the family, but just barely. She was born when Will was only ten months old. Willie and I had always planned on having four children, so we knew we wanted one more baby after we adopted Will, but we were surprised when she came so soon. And Bella’s been surprising us ever since. She has a fun, quirky, strong spirit. At three weeks old, she contracted salmonella. She was in the hospital for a week, but it took months before her little digestive system recovered. She was a tough little cookie then and she still is now.

I have always said Bella was born knowing what she wants and where she is going. From the moment she could walk and talk, she would just take off, and you knew you’d better keep up! At just three years old, she loved to place her own order at the drive-through. She
would stick her head out the window and say in her cute little-girl voice, “I’ll have chicken nuggets and a Dr Pepper, with
no
ice.” When she was about five years old she sat on Santa’s lap and told him she wanted Dr Pepper for Christmas. I think she knew she was being funny, but she said it in all seriousness, and guess what she had under the tree on Christmas morning: Dr Pepper.

Bella is my little partner. She doesn’t care to watch TV or really ever sit down; she likes to be busy. She’s always by my side, “helping” me work. I call her my personal assistant, and you would be surprised at what she can do at ten years old (her age at the time of this writing). We’ve been making television shows since she was a little girl, and she always makes friends with the film crew. She keeps them laughing behind the scenes. Her most recent nickname is “Barbara,” because she’s a little Barbara Walters when meeting new people. She can carry on a conversation with any adult by asking questions about their lives. She’ll find out how old you are, how long you’ve been married, how many kids you have, and where you work. She is interested in other people and other people are interested in her. If you meet her once, you will look forward to the next time. She’s quick-witted and a fun kid to be around. It’s been a joy to be her mom, and I’m so excited to see how God will use her talents and specific traits for His work. He’s got big plans for her.

Rebecca came to our family a little late, but we are sure glad she did. She was sixteen when we greeted her at the airport with
WELCOME TO AMERICA
signs and excitement in our hearts. She didn’t speak much English, but we loved her immediately. Bella took hold of her hand and wouldn’t let go. Sadie talked her ear off (even though Rebecca didn’t have any idea what she was saying),
and the boys tried to win her over by wrestling with her and playing hide-and-seek. Rebecca, for her part, was scared to death, but she was a trouper. I can’t imagine being sixteen years old, moving to a new country, and living with a family I’ve never met. She was equal parts brave and sweet—and she still is.

We laugh a lot in our family, and Rebecca fits right in. She’s got an easy spirit, and she can laugh at herself, which is an important trait for a Robertson. She’s incredibly talented and creative and goes for what she wants in life. Because she came to America in her junior year of school, she didn’t have enough high school credits to actually get her diploma. She received a certificate of completion from the high school she attended and then had to get her GED to get into college. Despite all of this, she then went on to graduate from Louisiana State University in just four years with a degree in fashion design, right on schedule—something lots of Americans can’t do!

Rebecca does have a mom in Taiwan, so I’ve always been careful to respect that. We are her American family, though, and if I ever make the mistake of saying I have only four kids, the rest of our children are quick to point out I have five. She is an awesome big sister and has become a beautiful, talented woman of God. We claim her as our own and are so thankful she claims us too!

M
AMAW AND
P
APAW
H
OWARD

When Willie was just a little boy, Miss Kay worked at Howard Brothers Discount Stores, one of my grandfather’s companies. When she went to work there, I am sure neither she nor my papaw Howard,
my dad’s father, had any idea our lives would be forever intertwined. God’s plan for my family and Willie’s did not start with us. He has used the two families to bless each other as far back as two generations.

My papaw Howard was an exuberant man and a tireless entrepreneur. He had a strong faith in God and a sense of determination that would not take no for an answer. If he wanted to do something and believed in it, he went for it. He was not afraid to take a risk; some of those risks failed, but others took off in very big ways.

When Papaw Howard wasn’t working, he had all kinds of fun hobbies, one of which was taking me fishing. We had many good times together baiting hooks and casting lines. He was a man of many talents who never stopped dreaming and creating. For example, he wrote songs, and my siblings and I often sang along with him while he played the piano. At other times, we followed him as he marched around his living room singing at the top of his lungs for “exercise.” He was a wonderful host and often held get-togethers at his house, which everyone enjoyed. Every New Year’s Eve, he had a party at his home, and we all rang in the New Year singing praises to God.

Of all my papaw’s ventures, one of the most fun (for me at least) was a singing group he started. The “stars” were four sisters who were friends of our family. They sang country music and called themselves the Steffin Sisters. Papaw Howard wrote their songs, started promoting them, and even made a couple of music videos I got to be in! The Steffin Sisters went on a European tour when I was thirteen years old, and I went along as the babysitter. We traveled to Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, and England for six weeks
one summer, going from one music festival to another, and I loved every minute of it.

In addition to being a great businessman and providing so much fun and entertainment, Papaw Howard gave me a strong legacy of faith. His commitment to Christ has outlived him; he is still helping lots of people through the ministries he helped start, such as the Christian camp Camp Ch-Yo-Ca, where my parents met and where I first laid eyes on that cute Willie Robertson when I was in third grade. He also played a huge role in founding the Christian school I attended, where all the Robertson children go today. He was instrumental in helping establish the many ministries our church still supports today, as well, including World Radio and Relief Ministries. In addition, he founded a Christian publishing company called Howard Publishing (now called Howard Books) and wrote many songs that churches all around the world still sing. He was a man who lived for God and did everything he could do to impact this world in positive ways. I think he did an amazing job!

Papaw’s wife was my mamaw Howard. One of my favorite memories of her is that she often took me to a local nursing home and we passed out Little Debbie Nutty Bars to the residents. She had the sweetest, kindest spirit, and I cannot imagine her ever saying a bad word about anyone. She also had the gift of hospitality and invited someone from church over every Sunday for lunch.

Mamaw was also a prayer warrior. The Bible teaches us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17,
NKJV),
and she did! She always seemed to be reading her Bible and often read verses to my cousins and me. She recited some of her favorite verses every night, and everyone who spent the night with her got the verses read over
them in the beautiful old King James Version. One of her favorites was Isaiah 41:10: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” I can still hear her sweet voice reading those words today and they still bring me comfort when I think of them.

Not long before I started writing this book, my mamaw passed away. At her funeral I heard stories I had never heard before about her helping people. I knew she had helped many, many people in many ways, but at her funeral I realized that her legacy of caring for people was even more powerful than I knew and went far beyond the stories I knew.

Mamaw Howard was a kind, sweet, lovely lady, but she was a strong woman too. She had a lot of struggles in her life, but she overcame them all. She always looked to God for help and strength and always praised Him in everything she did.

Papaw Howard was a good provider for Mamaw and their family. They were very well-off by the world’s standards, but that was not important in either of their lives. Mamaw could have had any jewels, fancy cars, or anything else she wanted, but those things did not matter to her. Helping others and putting God first was what her heart was after. My papaw called her “Queenie.” He loved and cherished her, and she did him, all the days of their lives.

M
AMAW AND
P
APAW
S
HACK

My mamaw Jo Shackelford, my mom’s mom, is always stylish and beautiful but quick to point out that it’s what’s on the inside of a person that counts. One of her sayings is “Pretty is as pretty does.” She is a living example of that generations-old truth.