We Take Our Families For Granted

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We take our families for granted. Let's face it, we all do. And when I say "family," I don't mean it from a biological standpoint. Besides, a family is more than the people who brought you into the world. In fact, sometimes, blood relatives can be the furthest thing from a family. Instead, they act as sources of neglect and torment that no one deserves to have. So as far as I'm concerned, your family is who makes your life worth living. They are those who take the time to foster a connection with you. And they focus on you before worrying about themselves. But as time goes by, we forget how much our family matters. That mindset is nothing shameful. If anything, it means you've grown accustomed to the compassion they bring. So it becomes an …show more content…

Instead, you must be strong, stoic, and independent. Well, you can be pissed off or aggressive. But you must bottle up any semblance of sadness or even affection. Nonetheless, that regressive emotional capacity was not what my Dad taught me. He supported me when I failed and shaped me into a well-developed man. And whenever sensitive impulses took hold of me, my Dad stayed kind and comforting. After all, he was no stranger to emotional outbursts himself. Seeing as he spent ten years coaching me in baseball, I've seen them. When it was time to celebrate, he would embrace the whole team. If we came close but didn't quite win, he kept our spirits high. Not once did the competitive nature of the game cause him to lash out. In fact, he still insists that he had more fun than me. And yet, he was coaching from the dugout while I was the one playing each game. So I'm almost positive he's lying. But my point his he never did anything he didn't enjoy. And that sheer positivity was the same outlook on life that I wanted. Now, I doubt I'll find anything that'll bring me as much passion as my Dad had with baseball. But I know that whatever I pursue, even if it makes zero money, will never be a waste of time as long as I enjoy it. And that mentality was one of the first qualities I noticed in …show more content…

And I began to see his uninhibited self. Now, I don't mean to say that my Mom held him back. Rather, he didn't have as much conflict getting in his way. So his love towards me became more open and refined. And I could see a genuine side of him without my Mom's judgment throwing me off. As a result, our one-on-one bond grew to unforeseen heights. In fact, because of the divorce, it became something I appreciated above all else. You could say it was a blessing in disguise. Like, we began taking trips together. It started with a Red Sox game in the summer of 2014. Then the next year, it was a camping trip in his hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska. But wherever our journey was, the fact that it was only the two of us made it special. And I remember the words my Dad spoke as he reflected on our time together. He said, "Jack, you'll always be my son. But I with how we've interacted and bonded, I can tell you're a man now." It's safe to say that recognition he gave me was paramount. And it stays in my mind every time I'm with him. In fact, after some consideration of my own, I had similar feelings towards him. Albeit, I always loved him as my Dad. So, of course, I never doubted his sincerity towards me. But after a series of our father-son summers, he became someone I wanted to be around. Sure, I was at a point in my life where he didn't have much left to teach me. Besides, I already knew how to hit a

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