One of the greatest pleasures in life is watching our kids grow to achieve their dreams or reach their goals. It’s one of the many things that gives us so much fulfillment in being a parent. From the day our kids are born, we as parents want nothing more than for our kids to be happy. Today, I’ll talk about some of the sacrifices my parents (especially my mother) made for me to have the life I’ve enjoyed so much.
Most of you already know my story from past articles. But in case you haven’t, my aunt and uncle rescued and adopted me at the age of ten and turned my life completely around and literally saved me from the streets of Houston, Texas. They put me on the path to success with sacrifices and dedication of their own free will.
Again, the good Lord above blessed me with some athletic ability that only He can give. But it was my parents who made sure that my talent did not go to waste. So many days my mother made sure I was at every practice and every game on time.
She sat in a hot car for hours waiting on practice to be over, knowing she still had supper to cook, clothes to wash, another child to tend to, and a husband to take care of. Getting home after 7:00 each evening, she cooked dinner and made sure our homework was complete before ushering me and my brother off to take a bath.
She made sure uniforms were always washed and ready for the next game. She had very little time to herself as she worked full time as a nurse at a local clinic. But not one time did she fail to make sure I was where I needed to be whether it was a baseball or football practice or a Boy Scouts meeting. Mom sacrificed!
You never fully appreciate these sacrifices until the day comes when you have kids of your own and realize the effort it takes to make sure your kids are where they are supposed to be. She did this not just for me, but for my younger brother Chad as well, who was about six years younger than me.
My entire life growing up, we never took a vacation as a family. Mom never took one of those much needed “get aways.” Sure, we made the occasional trip to Six Flags in Dallas or maybe to see the Texas Rangers play, but never a trip to the Caribbean or the mountains of Colorado to enjoy the scenery.
Pretty much every trip we took revolved around my brother or me playing baseball with All-star playoffs. Even as I got into high school, she followed me to every game (home or away). She made the trip to Austin as we made the baseball State Tournament and won our first State Championship in 1978.
Not one time did she ever complain or say “no” to any sport I wanted to play. Her devotion was unlimited, and her sacrifices were intentional, all to make sure I had every opportunity to achieve success!
I think it goes without saying that I was one of the lucky ones who had parents wanting their kids to have the best…the best opportunity to achieve and be successful in life. Sometimes I think we forget just how important those sacrifices are.
But at the time, we just think that’s how it’s supposed to be, but in reality, that’s not true. It takes parents willing to make those sacrifices unselfishly and make their kids a priority and their main focus.
For parents, the reward comes much later in life when they sit back and brag about all the accomplishments their kids have achieved, all because of the sacrifices made. In the end, it’s worth every second and hour we set aside to make sure our kids are the priority!
Without sacrificial parents, kids don’t stand a chance! So, to all you young adults out there looking to have children of your own, make sure they are your top priority. And from me, “Thank you, Mom, for your dedication and commitment to ME!” Remember, sacrifice is unspoken love.
