Hey guys. It's Dad. I just wanted to take a minute to give you the true answer to a question that Jeffrey asked when he was much younger. "But Dada. Why do you have to do Ironman?" I know that you may not completely understand why I compete triathlon and other endurance events. A lot of people; ok most people think that it's so I can say "Yeah! I did an Ironman." So I can to brag, or to post something on social media so people will show me support. Truly, that's not it. That's not it at all. Sometimes I wish that the answer was that simple. The bottom line is that the "event" that I'm often training for provides little or no reward. What I have found is that, when I push myself beyond what I think I'm capable of; when I'm exhausted and hurt and hungry and I want to quit and I can't...that is when the deepest self exploration starts. That's when I learn the real lessons of life. As your dad, I don't think I really have the right to sit on the couch with a pizza and a few beers, cheering on a football team, is going to make me...better. I owe it to you two, and to your mother, to be ther very, very best I can be. It's my duty; actually it's my privilege to help you guys have the most joy filled lives possible. That doesn't mean fancy houses and expensive cars but recognizing and appreciating simple happiness. So, no, it's not pretty. It's not pretty at all, but when everything gets stripped away; really stripped away, and I no longer care if I'm bleeding, or snot is running down my face, or if I throw up or if I believe I can continue or not, it's about what comes after that. It's no longer about "hey look at me", it's about really matters most. You guys matter most. I want to find the path or maybe even create the path to help you guys become better and better young man. I want you to grow stronger, both emotionaly and physically, I want you to grow happier; both in what you have, and in what you do. I want you to grow smarter, both both accademically and socially. Finally, I want you to learn something that has taken me far too long. That is to find balance between courage and compassion. Lastly, I want you to live a life that is filled with joy: the joy of experience, the joy of success and the joy of the comeback, the joy of giving and the joy of teaching to give. But...how can I coach you through these lessons if I haven't found the path yet myself. That is why I do some of those 'crazy' things I do. That...and because I love you. Love Dad
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorAs a father of two sons, I have often wavered between feeling the burden of raising two strong, intelligent, compassionate young men and the privilege of doing so. Archives
May 2017
|