This morning as I woke up I was reading through the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine which my roommates subscribe to. In it they polled 8 athletes about how they felt about work stoppages (a.k.a. lockouts,) and one of the responses caught me tremendously off-guard and honestly made me a little angry. Michael Young, the tremendous infielder for the Texas Rangers, said, "Look at sports like football, where one hit can ruin a career. Players have to fight to support their families." When I read that, it took me aback, although not too far aback as I must admit, I was sitting on the on the throne in the bathroom while I read it :)
But it made me realize how incredibly thankful I am for my family, particularly my parents, and how rarely I tell them what an incredible job of raising a family they did! In 10 years, my parents probably won't make what the lowest paid of major professional athletes make in 1. My dad works unbelievable hours as hard as he can for the least supported football team in the SEC, doing the job other schools have 3 people to do. He's up early to work on game notes and to write media guides, and gets home after long nights of practice and games, usually energy-sapping losses. My mom was a newspaper editor for her whole life. Well, that is until the newspaper business tanked and she was laid off just before Christmas nearly three years ago. Now? She works even more hours than my dad on the thing that she is more passionate about than anything that's not her family, the Brentwood Home Page. An online magazine catering to "all things Brentwood," she trots around town following every scoop and every meeting, pounds the pavement seeking advertising partners, and does everything else needed with a staff of 10 less than what is needed.
But you know what, my parents are everything a son could hope for! I know how much it killed my dad when he couldn't make it to all of my cross country meets or basketball games in high school. I know how much it killed my mom that she never made it to a family weekend at Furman. But they were there for EVERYTHING they possibly could be, for all of Thomas's plays, or my gymnastic rehearsals with Mr. Rick as a kid. We were never rich, yet they always found a way to get me or Thomas on the trip we wanted to go on, or the Christmas present when we were going to have a "plain and simple Christmas." They poured out every ounce of love they could into each other and Thomas and me. For 22 years, my mom and dad have been two of the greatest blessings a son could ever ask for. I know they wish they could've given us more and that things haven't always been perfect or gone "according to plan," but I also know that after 22 years, my parents still look at me and Thomas with the same sparkle in their eyes as I imagine they had when we arrived at Santa Rosa Community Hospital. And even crazier, they are still just as madly in love as they were as stupid 20-somethings moving out to California. In a world where divorce is almost as common as staying together, that's a pretty remarkable thing. They should have no regrets about A SINGLE THING they did in raising my brother and me, because being a parent must be the hardest thing in the world, and they did the greatest job a guy could ever ask for.
Thomas and I used to fight. A LOT! All brothers fight I've decided, but we fought a whole bunch. We knew exactly what buttons to push to get each other riled up. EVERTHING was a competition. I remember going to Maggie Moo's for ice cream and we couldn't get the same ice cream or topping because we couldn't be the same. Specifically, I remember one night at the dinner table when we were in high school and middle school and were going at it and bickering and pushing those buttons. It got to the point where Mom had to leave the table crying. That one night will always be seared into my memory for as long as I live. It killed me, and still does, that I've ever made my mom cry.
I remember when I graduated from Brentwood High and moved out to Furman, I couldn't wait for my mom and dad to leave (and thankfully they didn't even stay the night.) And they gave me space to grow up and move on, but always called to check in. Whenever I would call my dad, he always asked if I've called my mom, and vice versa. I didn't always want to talk to them, as any college student can attest to, but now I realize how incredibly blessed I was to have parents who were always thinking about me from 6 hours away. They let me make my mistakes and grow from them, but have always been there to pick me up and give me a hug.
Being a parent must be the hardest job in the world. I can't imagine the love they have for their kids, and then the patience to put up with the diapers as a baby, the questions as a child, the fights as a teenager, and the letting go as a college student. I think the movie Parenthood put it best, "You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car - heck, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they'll let any [expletive] be a father." I'm sure my parents wish certain things could have been different, that they could have been at everything and never had to worry about how to get Thomas and me through two incredibly expensive colleges. But I hope they know that I have never doubted how much they love me, because they remind me every day. I know the sacrifices they've made to make my life what it is. They never had to hold out for more millions of dollars to support their family! I only hope one day I get the chance to be a half the parent mine were.
Parents aren't perfect, but if you get a chance, call them up and tell them how much you love them. Tell them how grateful you are for everything they've done for you, for making you the apple of their eye. Put it in your Facebook status. I wish I told them that more, because my parents not only gave me life 22 years ago, they have breathed love into it every day since.
forever unfinished...
But it made me realize how incredibly thankful I am for my family, particularly my parents, and how rarely I tell them what an incredible job of raising a family they did! In 10 years, my parents probably won't make what the lowest paid of major professional athletes make in 1. My dad works unbelievable hours as hard as he can for the least supported football team in the SEC, doing the job other schools have 3 people to do. He's up early to work on game notes and to write media guides, and gets home after long nights of practice and games, usually energy-sapping losses. My mom was a newspaper editor for her whole life. Well, that is until the newspaper business tanked and she was laid off just before Christmas nearly three years ago. Now? She works even more hours than my dad on the thing that she is more passionate about than anything that's not her family, the Brentwood Home Page. An online magazine catering to "all things Brentwood," she trots around town following every scoop and every meeting, pounds the pavement seeking advertising partners, and does everything else needed with a staff of 10 less than what is needed.
But you know what, my parents are everything a son could hope for! I know how much it killed my dad when he couldn't make it to all of my cross country meets or basketball games in high school. I know how much it killed my mom that she never made it to a family weekend at Furman. But they were there for EVERYTHING they possibly could be, for all of Thomas's plays, or my gymnastic rehearsals with Mr. Rick as a kid. We were never rich, yet they always found a way to get me or Thomas on the trip we wanted to go on, or the Christmas present when we were going to have a "plain and simple Christmas." They poured out every ounce of love they could into each other and Thomas and me. For 22 years, my mom and dad have been two of the greatest blessings a son could ever ask for. I know they wish they could've given us more and that things haven't always been perfect or gone "according to plan," but I also know that after 22 years, my parents still look at me and Thomas with the same sparkle in their eyes as I imagine they had when we arrived at Santa Rosa Community Hospital. And even crazier, they are still just as madly in love as they were as stupid 20-somethings moving out to California. In a world where divorce is almost as common as staying together, that's a pretty remarkable thing. They should have no regrets about A SINGLE THING they did in raising my brother and me, because being a parent must be the hardest thing in the world, and they did the greatest job a guy could ever ask for.
Thomas and I used to fight. A LOT! All brothers fight I've decided, but we fought a whole bunch. We knew exactly what buttons to push to get each other riled up. EVERTHING was a competition. I remember going to Maggie Moo's for ice cream and we couldn't get the same ice cream or topping because we couldn't be the same. Specifically, I remember one night at the dinner table when we were in high school and middle school and were going at it and bickering and pushing those buttons. It got to the point where Mom had to leave the table crying. That one night will always be seared into my memory for as long as I live. It killed me, and still does, that I've ever made my mom cry.
I remember when I graduated from Brentwood High and moved out to Furman, I couldn't wait for my mom and dad to leave (and thankfully they didn't even stay the night.) And they gave me space to grow up and move on, but always called to check in. Whenever I would call my dad, he always asked if I've called my mom, and vice versa. I didn't always want to talk to them, as any college student can attest to, but now I realize how incredibly blessed I was to have parents who were always thinking about me from 6 hours away. They let me make my mistakes and grow from them, but have always been there to pick me up and give me a hug.
Being a parent must be the hardest job in the world. I can't imagine the love they have for their kids, and then the patience to put up with the diapers as a baby, the questions as a child, the fights as a teenager, and the letting go as a college student. I think the movie Parenthood put it best, "You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car - heck, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they'll let any [expletive] be a father." I'm sure my parents wish certain things could have been different, that they could have been at everything and never had to worry about how to get Thomas and me through two incredibly expensive colleges. But I hope they know that I have never doubted how much they love me, because they remind me every day. I know the sacrifices they've made to make my life what it is. They never had to hold out for more millions of dollars to support their family! I only hope one day I get the chance to be a half the parent mine were.
Parents aren't perfect, but if you get a chance, call them up and tell them how much you love them. Tell them how grateful you are for everything they've done for you, for making you the apple of their eye. Put it in your Facebook status. I wish I told them that more, because my parents not only gave me life 22 years ago, they have breathed love into it every day since.
forever unfinished...
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