Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I were placed in the shoes of someone less fortunate than me. I see fathers separated from their children by divorces, addictions, and carelessness and wonder how any child can go through something like that. I thank God everyday that he has given me such a caring dad that has sacrificed so much for me. Although he is not by any means perfect, he still has great values and an undying love for the rest of my family.
I remember a time in my life not too long ago when I had to think about getting my name out to colleges in hope of landing a football scholarship. My dad went through the same process when he was that young, but with little help from his parents because they didn’t seem to have the time. The amount of time he spent on searching for schools that I might fit in was incredible. He made lists of e-mails and telephone numbers of coaches so I could send my highlight tapes out to them. Not to mention he constructed my junior and senior year tapes from scratch, which consisted of watching every play from all my games probably three times over, and putting them all on DVD’s and VHS’s. He then sent all tapes in hopes that I may catch the eye of some coaches. When I started getting feed-back from some schools, he took time out of his busy weekends to drive me down, or up to them so I could tour the campus, and test for the coaches. An average trip was about four to five hours one way.
One particular trip has a special place in my mind, the one to Michigan Tech University. We woke up at five in order to meet with the coaches at eleven some 200 miles away. When we first hit the Upper Peninsula we were struck with one of the worst blizzards I have ever seen. The roads were covered with a half foot of snow, and we could barely see three feet in front of us. It was truly a miracle that we didn’t end up in a drift because of how fast we were going in fear of being late. I remember my dad saying he was thankful for the trees because they were the only guide to keep us on the roads. We made it on a whim and a prayer, with minutes to spare. I tested great, and finally got that scholarship I was longing for thanks to the heroics of my father.
I believe in the way my father treats my family and I. To always be there for us, and help us obtain a better life than he has. I don’t want to look back at my life when I’m old and grey, and feel that I didn’t put everything I had into bettering my kids. There is no way I would be where I’m at today without the assistance from my father, and for that I am truly thankful.