Giving Up

I've come to learn that the most important things can be some of the smallest things that mean so much.

When I was about 6 or 7 we use to always wrestle with my dad. There were 6 of us, climbing on his back, tickling his feet, or yankin at his arms.

I remember a certain time in particular. It was all siblings against my dad. A wrestling match for sure. My dad somehow managed to get everyone else runnin and had me pinned. He would tickle me or hold my hands so i couldn't move and would just say:

"Do you give up?.. Do you give up?"

I remember all my siblings looking at me like "You better say the right thing!" My siblings were older too so the pressure as a 6 year old was immense.

Not really thinking, I gave in and said "YES! i give up" and after that he let go of me and the wrestling match was finished. I remember all my siblings being like "Dang! why did you give up?!" knowing we lost the battle.

Once someone said they gave up that meant that dad was done wrestling with us. We all tried to never say we gave up because we absolutely loved to wrestle with dad.

I don't know why this memory has stuck out so much to me in later years. I think it really taught me to NEVER give up because you lose either way if you do.

I remember a few times in my life when I really wanted to give up. Whether it be me falling on my head and almost becoming paralized, failing a class, broken relationships, almost losing a sister, or watching my sister lose her sweet baby.

My dad taught me a great lesson probably without even realizing.

Giving up is not an option.

Sometimes life says:

"Do you give up?... Do you give up?"

All you can do is plant both feet in the ground and look up. That way the battle is half won.