One thing my father told me that I'll never forget —
And, as was so often the case...
Even in moments I was confident I'd made the right choice, I felt as if a storm were churning inside my chest.
But as I've grown, I've started to piece together the little ways in which he had been preparing me for these storms.
For instance, when I was playing soccer and an opponent would try to get under my skin — he'd always tell me:
Or when I went away to college, and I was exposed to a whole new world of ideas, he'd say:
And most important — when I disagree with someone I love – he told me to prioritize graciousness.
In all this, he prepared me for life's uncertainty by focusing on the one part of life I could control: my response.
And this muscle I exercise when I respond to external conflict with grace is the same one I need when I feel conflict inside.
I know now none of this will make the storm go away. But it does keep me moving through an uncertain world.
Thanks, Dad. Happy Father's Day.
