Conor my boy, being strong is important. Strong of mind, strong of will, strong of body, and strong of heart. Those strengths will protect you when you're feeling weak, and believe me, you'll have those days. Life is rife with disappointments... Some greater than others but disappointments none the less... However, so much more of life are the victories; despite the disappointments that loom. Never the less, some days you're the hammer, others, you're the nail...
Today was a day when your old man was a nail, Son. Through and through.
After the Redskins laying an egg last night I came home and went straight to bed. I wasn't interested in listening to the jock sniffing talking heads, I wasn't interested in highlights, I wasn't interested in celebrating the season, I just wasn't interested at all... Of course though, I don't ordinarily go to bed at 9:00pm, in fact closer to midnight if not later... So falling asleep at that time would see me waking up at 4:30am, and when I say waking up, I mean I was WIDE awake, totally unable to get back to sleep. A mild disappointment, but a disappointment none the less... Not so bad though. Things are still good and so I go about getting my day started.
The next disappointment however, came by way of a truck that wouldn't start. In fact, she wouldn't DREAM of starting! Now THAT is disappointing! After 45 minutes of dealing with that mess I finally got the Tahoe started and off we went to get you to school... Running late, truck acting funny. Is it the battery? Is it a short? Stress...
Hammer, hammer, hammer, hammer... Deeper in the nail goes. And it's not even 10:00am.
I don't mean to complain, Conor. Truly. And in fact I'm sure that's exactly what this looks like - whining! But there's a moral to the story, Son. Strength...
The day went on and disappointment after disappointment smashed into me as the head of the nail... The truck continued to act up, I couldn't get my way clear on some things with my work, I didn't feel well, it was a dreaded Monday... But then I was forced to remember, I'm strong. Very strong.
Taking stock in who you are and what you have when you feel like a piñata at a little league baseball party is what it's all about, Boy'O. Life will ever try and knock you down and you most certainly will not always get what you want, but when you look at who and what matters and you make adjustments, scratches, and corrections, you realize quickly how easy it is to right the ship. Just stay true to yourself, Conor. Don't ever compromise what you want for what you have. Work through adversity and on the bad days, and the good days will be great. And when you come across those who can't follow that philosophy, push them aside and move on. No thing, no job, and certainly no person should ever get the best of you. Not ever.
So today was a lousy Monday, Son. But tomorrow will be a great Tuesday. Life will come back into focus, and the prize will be won, if only you have the courage of your convictions and the strength to see it through.
I love you, Conor. Always.
-Dad
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