A Gift from the Past

As I was digging in my sock drawer the other day (unsuccessfully I might add, I never found the black sock with the blue spots) I found a gift I had purchased for my uncle Randy about 15 years ago. It was a set of brass golf ball markers with an Indiana University logo on them, but the what is not nearly as important as the why. My family is great, both sides, we've been close all my life. My grandparents who are as good as it gets have taught me and loved me unconditionally (although my grandma does generally tell me how much I need to lose weight). My mother's mother has passed away but she was terrific, I called her mom-mom, she was better to me than I probably deserved. Grandma's are cool in the way they are totally okay with telling you where you could do better (hence mamaw telling me to shed the pounds), but let someone else talk bad about you and they will pinch their heads off. I'm rambling when I should be making the point I intended to - my family is cool. My parents are better than I could have asked for, and my extended family just rounds out the picture of a guy who had a great upbringing. We have our faults, I won't list them here out of respect for the fam, but all in all a good group.


So you ask what this has to do with my sock drawer, my dad's little brother, and ball markers? It just this, I remember one day about 15 years ago walking through the mall and stopping at a golf kiosk, I didn't like golf at the time but my uncle did so I bought them. Ten bucks! To a 15 year old that is major dough, at least in the late 1900's it was. My uncle had spent time with me, played catch with me, helped me learn to ride my bike, and watched ball games with me. Probably not a big deal to him, but to a kid when an adult takes time out of there life to spend with 'em it's valuable. So when I saw the ball markers, sorry Randy if you read this I never gave them to you I sort of misplaced them for a decade and a half, I thought what makes a teenager spend money on an uncle when it's not required? Time,time,time - we give our kids all kinds of stuff but are we, am I, forgetting the best gift of all.

My kids birthdays are coming up, my girls want Coach purses, Ipods, High Heels, and cell phones. I want to get them these things, but I don't want to neglect to give the gift that will outlast all the others. My time.

So for every time my Aunt Christie or Aunt Diane let me hang out at there place and watch movies or talk about stuff, or when my uncle Randy helped me ride Mike's old yellow bike, or for the times my uncle Mike Robertson had to climb up a tree to get me down, or for all the ball games my uncle Mike Watkins played with me, for every time my gradnma let me sit on her lap after I was way to big to do so, quite simply to my family who helped make me who I am; thanks.

To my folks who have done more for me as a child and even as an adult, for the camping trips, the baseball games, and the church services - thanks.

To every adult who has taken extra time to spend with a child remember it's not time wasted, it is an investment. An investment that you both will appreciate. To every parent or grandparent who reads this remember they aren't nuisances or bothers, they are the future. Do you best to spend some extra time with the little people and you never know you might get a set of IU ball markers for you trouble.