Making Time

A common theme in many movies is the parent who is too busy to spend time with their children, then something happens in their lives—either humorous or tragic—to make the parent realize the importance of participating in their children's lives while they still have the chance. I know at times I'm a "go ask your mother" type of parent, I'm inconsistent and wishy-washy and make a lot of edicts that don't make much sense to anyone. I often forget things and act foolish, like the time I gathered the whole family around the back of the car to force a confession out of someone and find out who put the big dent there—only to realize later it was me. But for the most part, I don't feel I've failed too miserably in one area, that being I try to spend time with our children and be a part of their lives.

It's not easy sometimes, with the demands of work coupled with a family of six pulling us all different ways. I've suffered through some painfully squeaky orchestra concerts and sat in the freezing rain at soccer games where the only warm place was the port-a-potty and the parents are starting fist fights with each other. But I've tried hard to attend the piano recitals, choral performances, and kindergarten graduation ceremonies ("They keep coming up with new ways to celebrate mediocrity." — Mr. Incredible).

And it's paid off. I've had some experiences I'll never forget and wouldn't trade for anything. One example is Miara's cross country running career. It was brief, she only started running the summer before her high school senior year. She related how she nearly gave up many times—as the other runners made it all the way up to Elephant Rock and she had to walk much of the way because she'd just started running a couple weeks earlier. Her younger brother Aarim is a very talented runner and had been running for several years by that time. He and her coaches and fellow runners kept encouraging her and she kept with it all the way till the region finals.

I took time away from my work to go watch her team run at the finals. I jogged to different points around the course and kept encouraging her. While not the fastest, she's a strong runner and passed a lot of others on the hills. I stood at the finish as she crossed the line with tears in her eyes, taking third place for her entire region. It was a beautiful example of perseverance and I'd really hate myself right now if I'd missed that because I was too lazy to go or claimed I was too busy.