KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY

The old adage holds true. I am a firm believer in good karma. Mix that up with hard work and showers of success will rain down from the sky…. unless you are having a parade. That would stink.

I shared my personal story last week about my youngest son’s last soccer game coming up. Last Friday was the proudest day of my life in a very long time. Travis started the game and played for most of the epic final game. My son is a defender and we lost with all points scored when he rested on the bench.  They may have lost the game, but the looks on the faces of the seniors was priceless. I never saw Travis so happy. He ran around hugging and thanking all of his teammates, coaches and the referees. He spent 15 years playing soccer and basketball with the most intense determination and grit…. but he also carried himself on and off the field with great kindness.

Travis never had a bad word to say about anyone. Even when the referees were horrible, he would reside to the fact that in the grand scheme of things, this was just another game. Like me, Travis played to have fun. He worked very hard and never gave the coaches any grief. As a result, he had 15 years of memories that will follow him the rest of his life. He also learned life lessons that will be so valuable. I have always shouted the praises of organized sports. If you play correctly with kindness and work with pure determination to improve with every game, you will one day walk away as Travis walked away Friday night. He was so happy and proud of everything he accomplished from being team captain his sophomore year to winning countless tournaments over his career with both basketball and soccer. I am so proud of him.

So, did I cry? I know you all want to know. I kept looking at the clock during the last 10 minutes of the final half. Damn that clock was ticking down so quickly. I was choking up like crazy at 2:10 left in the game. When that buzzer sounded, I was tearing up… but then I saw Travis on the field leaping in the air with his fist raised. He was so happy the game ended with his team playing so incredibly hard. He was hugging everyone, thanking them. I caught a taste of that joy on my heart and all was good… until I walked out to my car. I teared up again, prayed to God and thanked Him for giving my 18 years of amazing memories with both Zachary and Travis. I didn’t cry, sorry to disappoint. I was too proud of both of my boys and too thankful for the Blessings I received over the past 18 years.

So, with this experience over, what can I do to top this emotional ride? I can honestly say that if I finally get syndicated in the next year or two, it will never feel as proud as I dis Friday night. I too have worked hard with great kindness over the past 30 years on my cartoons. I know my day is coming and the taste of victory will be ever so sweet, but I will never be more proud or happier than I was Friday.

Thank you all for allowing me to share my emotions. I hope you all take away something from my experience. Work hard with great kindness and life life with no regrets.

– Davy

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