“Teach your children well; they’ll remember it forever."
~ Proverbs 22:6
We met the day I turned
seven. The kindness that he showed me
that night bonded us forever and gave me reason to battle on! Back then, new friends came along about as
often as lottery wins. One moment they
were showering me with sympathy; the next they vanished taking every precaution
to avoid accidental contact.
I could’ve met a million fabulous kids, all of them with sweet
smiles and just the right touch of shyness, but none of them could’ve replaced Dylan’s
unexpected warmth. We made cinnamon pies
and chased butterflies? We ate chocolate-chip
pancakes and watched cartoons together until our sides nearly burst.
Forgive me - I’ve gotten way ahead of myself. Let me back up about 30 years to the night we
met for the first time.
I’m Maisie and at way too early an age, my doctor diagnosed acute
lymphoblastic leukemia. My treatments
spanned almost 48 months because of complications, mostly infections. I lost all my hair and suffered nerve damage
from some of the drugs.
During my 6th round of chemo, I actually felt
good enough to attend a Red Wings hockey game.
I loved hockey – the skating, the scoring and even the brawling. The poster I held “Chemo by Day, Wings by Night,” appeared on the JumboTron and
prompted a standing ovation from the Joe Louis faithful.
The Wings eventually won but it was Dylan who stole the spotlight
that night. Between the two final
periods, he won a stick signed by the team's rookie sensation. I was so excited that I raced down to see it
close up.
I surely didn’t expect Dylan to follow me back to my seat
and give me his brand-new treasure.
He told me that I deserved the stick way more than him. His generous act of kindness still resonates with
me nearly three decades and two children later.
You guessed it – Dylan became more than just my best friend. He became my rock, my inspiration, and
eventually my husband. All for the love
of a hockey stick.
This is far more than a story about childhood romance – it’s
also a story about great parenting.
Mine gave me the courage to defeat cancer; Dylan’s taught him to be
unselfish.
Sometimes our kids don’t listen, make bad decisions, and
disappoint us. They also make us proud,
challenge our values, and teach us more than we’ve taught them.
The stronger your relationship with your child, the more their
world (including the opinions of their peers) is filtered through the values they
learned from us. And kids with good self-esteem
and a stable home life are more likely to pick friends who’re in sync with
those values too.
Parenting is the most important job you’ll ever have. Don’t take it lightly.
Heavenly Father, make me fair, just, and
considerate with my children. Help me
grow up with them and provide the guidance needed for them to learn for
themselves; to think, choose and to make righteous decisions. Amen
