Never give up!

When I was 9 years old we were living in Seoul, Korea. I had broken my femur bone and was laid up in traction, then in a body cast for 4 months. Needless to say, when the cast came off it took about a year for my limp to go away. My father was able to sign me up to play baseball at the Army base. We were missionaries and usually not allowed to join in on programs with the Army.

I had been out of my cast for only a month and needless to say, I hobbled everywhere on my crutches, but somehow, I managed to make the practices and eventually I won the short stop position. Through the whole season, I was not capable of playing my best baseball, but my father kept telling me to "never give up! keep working hard and do your best!"

I have no idea if I was a decent player that year, but at the end of the season I was selected for one of the All-Star teams. If I remember right, we had one All-Star game and I was one of the kids on the bench. Near the end of the game the coach put me in as a pinch hitter. All I remember is that I hit the ball and started running as fast as I could to first. Right before I made it, I tripped and fell flat on my face before I reached the bag. I could hear everyone screaming and I could hear my dad's voice (whether in my head or out loud I don't know) saying "get up! you can make it!" Somehow I did make it to first before the throw. I remember it to be one of the best days of my life. Everyone seemed to be proud of me...even though looking back now, I'm sure it wasn't a pretty moment! But that moment gave me confidence that I could do anything if I just put my mind and heart into it and "Never give up!"

Encourage your kids. This is what their dreams are made of. To live and love and to make their parents proud.