When I was younger, I can remember my parents and grandparents telling me to take my time because life would fly by. As young people, we really do not think about how quickly the time does move.

I was a kid who played sports and seemingly always on the go somewhere, but it was most likely to a baseball field where I spent a good part of my childhood. Watching the Little League World Series tournament over the past few weeks, I was taken back to my younger days and having memories come flooding back watching the Great Lakes Regional in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Junior League World Series in Taylor, Michigan My Little League all-star baseball teams were fortunate to play in both these events.

I found myself drawing on those memories and telling my daughter, I played on that field when I was that age. However, as a kid I never really thought about how much sacrifice it takes from parents and grandparents for their children to be everywhere all the time.

I can say now that I am a parent, I fully realize and thank my parents and grandparents for getting me to all those places to ensure I could make those memories.

All too often, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of making sure we are all the places we need to be at the right time. It can be difficult trying to make everything fit just right, and sometimes it is splitting the duties if multiple kids are playing games or having events in different places at the same time.

But, an important thing I have learned quickly is that the parents need to slow down and take the time to enjoy these things as well and not get bogged down in the stress.

Memories are not just for the kids, as parents and grandparents should be able to look back and recall the memories for the enjoyment they had watching their children play or participate, not just the thoughts of having to rush around.

And this is not just about sports, this goes for anything a child may be involved in from school events to music lessons.

I sincerely hope that your child or grandchild reads this and understands just what it takes for them to be atall these places and have the experiences.

Kids, it is important to take the time to thank your parents and grandparents each day for being there.

Ultimately, I hope that my parents and grandparents know how much I appreciate everything they did for me even though I may not have always told them thank you nearly enough.

 

Josh Morrison is the general manager at The Tribune. To reach him, call 740-532-1441 ext. 16 or by email at josh.morrison@irontontribune.com.