A Sacrifice for Family

As a father of five children all under the teenage dream years, I understand well the pull for time in countless directions in and out of each and every day. In no specific order, I have a career requiring a large investment of my time, I have a wife who I try to keep on a pedestal with my every decision, I have friends and social events where time spent are not only beneficial for my own personal health and sanity, but also possibly benefit my career. There are extracurricular events that require planning and a serious commitment of time. I don't need to explain any of the aforementioned to a parent to paint the picture that time is stretched thin and more valuable than one can imagine. If I had more of it, how would I spend it?

I'll begin by stating after my faith and relationship with my creator, my wife is my #1 (I guess that technically makes her my #2, huh?). Without a thriving and flourishing relationship with my wife, the rest of my entire life would suffer, especially the relationships with my children. So with that statement made, my children are my next priority before anything else. Memories from any fatherly relationship during my childhood are few and far-in-between. Not to fault my dad in any way as he did what he had to do. However, I promised myself that I'd be a better father than my own dad was to me.

There are quite a few things I could mention that prevent me from sacrificing for my own children. Among some of them are not having enough time, being tired, that ballgame on the TV that I really want to watch with a beer, my friends inviting me out to get a drink up the road, a bad day in the office, or a lack of spare cash. I am certain any father could relate to those and come up with their own list of temptations keeping them from investing time in their children.

This video above may crack open a few hardened hearts. The young girl figured out the sacrifices made by her father. Most of our children may never in their lives see things as depicted in this production, but isn't it our job to make the sacrifice regardless? When you are faced with a decision this week, remember the dad who falls asleep on the couch every night. Remember how much he sacrifices and ask yourself, “What will prevent me from sacrificing for my kids?” I hope the answer is nothing.