Several months ago I was taught a lesson by a church leader on doing or being the best in everything that I do. He spoke about not just doing good, or doing better, but doing the best. Well, this past Saturday I got to experience first hand what he was talking about.
As a sports junky, I had looked foward with anticipation to the weekend to go and cheer for my beloved BYU Cougar rugby team play in the finals on both Friday and Saturday. Since I played for the Cougars and that rugby is in my blood, I assumed that everything was going to be cool with the lovely wife. Well, the week came and she asked if I can choose either day to go, instead of both. She had her reasons and with five weeks to go before baby arrives, I understood her reasoning. Saturday morning arrived and the wife asked if I could take Vai with me. I tried to get out of it by blaming the weather condition and the fact that the game was up at the Stanford Campus in the cold Bay area and that it was going to be at 7 p.m. She did not buy it and I thought to myself, "Well, at least I am helping her by taking one of the kids.
GOOD." 4:30 p.m. rolls around, Vai and I were getting ready to go when the Clown Boy wakes up from his nap. "Where are you going", he asked. "To the rugby game", I said. "I wanna go too", he cried. I told him he that had to stay home and he flipped out. Not wanting to live him behind and giving the wife additional head-ache, I dressed him up and we the boys were going to go watch the game.
As we packed the van with blankies, snacks, and a change of clothes, Girly kept pacing right next to me with her head down. I paused with the loading and turned to look at her, only to be greeted with a teary looking face (kinda like that of PUSS-IN-BOOTS from Shrek)which broke my heart. I asked her what was the matter, and fighting back her tears, she utterted, "I wanna go too". I gave in and decided to take her also. All three kids with me, down to watch a rugby game and mommy is home alone having a relaxing time and a much needed break from the kids.
BETTER, I thought to myself.
We went to the bank to pull some money out and then to the gas station to fill up gas for the trip. I looked at the clock and it was about 6 p.m. I told myself that I'm going to have to speed all the way to Stanford cause I am not missing the game, even though it takes more than an hour to get there from Stockton. As soon as I was ready to get on the freeway, in one accord, my lovely kids yelled out, "We have to use the bathroom". At this point, my excitement and hopes about making it to see the game has started to drown slowly. I turned around and drove back home so the kids could go use the bathroom. By this time, it was 6:30 p.m. and the game starts at 7. After looking for an alternate activity for us to do, I told the kids that we were not going to go to the game. They all did not understand why and started to cry. Finally I decided that we were going to go to Lodi Lake and feed the ducks. As I told them of the new plan, Vai paused from his crying and said, "That's even better Tata". Taking the kids to feed the ducks and play around at the lake for me was
THE BEST choice I made that Saturday.
Taking one child was
GOOD, taking all 3 was
BETTER, but spending time with all 3 doing something they liked rather than what I liked, and allowing the wife to have a much needed break away from the kids for a short while was
THE BEST. Ironically, I told the wife before we left for the lake that I was a jinx anyway and that the Cougars were going to win their first champinionship because I was not there. And sure enough they did beat the mighty CAL Bears and got their first national title. It would have been nice to have been at the game with that momentous victory, however, I would not have traded anything for that time I spent with the kids at the lake feeding ducks. It was not just
GOOD. It was not just
BETTER. But indeed, it was
THE BEST.
