"Today...We Win As Parents"

When you have kids (whether they are biological or not) there are so many sleepless nights all dedicated to your mind wandering and pondering over thoughts such as "will my child make good choices", "how will their choices affect other people", "are they going to have a positive impact on the world"? Parenting is about doing the best you can with what you have, never giving up, always trying to do better, and learning from your mistakes. However, even with the best intentions, the best efforts, and the best skills, at the end of the day, our children are still in control of themselves, their own choices, and their own path. The only thing we can do is hope all we have done has gotten through. This means some days will be wins and some days will be losses...

Anyone who is really involved in my life or my son Jesse's life is aware how much we, as a family, love high school football and even more so, how much Jesse loves playing it. Since the first time he picked up a football, he has been asking that we buy him a specific football helmet. Like most sports equipment, it wasn't cheap, but it was something he really wanted. So for his senior year, since it was his last year to play football, we bought it for him. He wore it at every game. At the end of his last football game he had all the varsity players sign it and he then kept this helmet in a special bag to avoid any of the signatures getting scratched off. Jesse coveted this helmet like you would not believe and knowing that makes the impact of this story (in my eyes and my heart) all the greater.

A couple weeks ago I saw that Jesse had the helmet out and I asked him what he was doing with it. He said there is a boy at his school named, Drustin, who is mentally and physically challenged, but he wears the football jersey every Friday with us, he was at all the games cheering us on, so I thought he I would get the players I missed to sign it and give it to him at the sports banquet. There is no way until Jesse has children of his own that he will know what his gesture meant to me as a parent, as a person, and as his mother. For him to give up something that meant so much to him, that he waited so long to get, and give it up to another person for no other reason than it could possibly create a great memory, well it is an indescribable feeling. And to know that I had taken part in the developing of this creature was even more indescribable.

River Road had their sports banquet this past Friday night and after the football awards, Jesse was called up to present the helmet to Drustin and the entire room gave him (Drustin) a standing ovation. As a parent, this moment, this day, this memory...was a win! Jesse's kind and selfless act let Brad and I know in our heart that as parents, we have taught him the goodness and generosity God wants shared in this world. We have raised a son who is noble in spirit and pure of heart. Will there be failures in his future, absolutely...will he stand up from those moments and persevere, count on it...but this day was a win! This day was win for him as a human being, it was a win for us as parents, but most importantly, it was a win for Drustin. He was not only allowed to have a great addition to his life story, but he was shown the world can be kind, the world can be tolerant, the world can be generous, and to someone with special needs, those three things are some of those most important!

I do not tell this story to try and say that somehow Brad and I are better parents than other people, that could not be farther from the truth. We, as a team, also have failures, but do we, as a team, also persevere, absolutely...because we do not believe there is any other choice. Parenting is a job that goes until...until your child gets it, until your child is solely independent, until your child is successful in all areas of life and doesn't need you anymore. Now ask yourself, "when does that day come?"  Well if you are a TRULY invested parent, that day NEVER comes! You are supposed to be a parent forever! I tell this story because also like most parents, I am proud of my children and enjoy sharing their greatness with others. I am beyond proud and privileged to have taken part in their life stories as well as who they are as human beings. I am very confident about the adult I am fixing to send into the world and the two who will follow, sooner than I like I am sure!