Good Stuff Breezes By
“The family is the first essential cell of human society.” – Pope John XXIII
This past Saturday my wife and I drove to Waco, Texas, to watch our daughter Helena perform in a state dance competition. Her team performed well, and they were recognized for their talent and hard work.
The drive from San Antonio to Waco stretches about 3 hours, and we need to be careful with the Austin traffic. If you haven’t heard, driving through our state’s capital can be dicey, especially if you decide to take I-35.
We opted for the toll road that circles around Austin. It’s definitely a big detour, but we can keep a 70+ pace the entire time, which makes the drive tolerable.
Good Stuff
As Dulce and I drove there, stayed the night in Waco, and drove home the next day, I realized the value of this time together. When we are here in San Antonio, we are often in separate cars.
It just seems that we are often involved with our own stuff, and sometimes finding quality time together can be difficult.
During the drive, we had plenty of time to chat about things that are important, such as the kids, future vacations, our health, and much more.
In fact, I think we talked about the same stuff several times. Is this something that people do when they start to get older? Ha!
The Dance Competition
Unlike last year, our Antonian High School Girl’s Dance Team failed to earn first place in the competition. Yet, as I watched them perform their routines, I felt they were just as prepared as the year before.
The girls were upset with their third-place finish, but I felt they had done a terrific job. I suppose the issue here is they have high expectations, which means anything other than the top position seems like a letdown.
After the competition, I embraced our 15-year-old daughter and told her I was very proud of her. The two-a-day practices over the past week or so had yielded positive results.
The Lesson
Given that I have many more years of life experience, I can see the terrific lesson that has availed itself to the girls.
There is room for growth!
If you think about it, earning 3rd place means that the team has areas where they can improve, and the score sheet will make it clear where these vulnerabilities exist.
In a couple of months, they will perform in Nationals, and they now know to concentrate on certain areas to improve their overall performance. Also, they are hungry and dedicated to do better given the outcome in the most recent competition.
From my standpoint, this past weekend provided a terrific lesson. I’ve been so busy with my work requirements that I have spent less time with my family.
The drive time with Dulce reminded me that there is so much good stuff out there, and it is going to breeze by, so I need to appreciate it.
Each time I write and reflect on these activities, I am reminded that I need to slow down and appreciate these simple and most beautiful times.
Good! I’ve identified my area for improvement … Time to work on it!
Inspiring Quotes
“The memories we make with our family is everything.” – Candace Cameron Bure
“Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches.” – Wanda Hope Carter
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: What makes your life complete?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.