Each day my friend, Bill Keating, sends an email to his children. The list has now grown to hundreds with hundreds more receiving a forward. Each Thought of the Day is filled with encouragement, challenge, inspiration, reminders to be productive members of society. I appreciated today's a great deal.
Thought of the Day - June 16, 2012
At the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, Bill Havens was a member of the United States canoe team. As the Olympics neared, Bill realized that his wife would give birth to their first child about the time that he would be competing in the Olympic games.
Bill had a dilemma - should he go to Paris and risk not being at his wife's side when their baby was born….or should he withdraw from the USA team and remain with his family?
Bill's wife insisted that he go to Paris. After all, competing in the Olympics was his life-long dream. Bill felt conflicted but, after much soul-searching, decided to withdraw from the Olympics and stay at home to support his wife when their baby was born. Being at his wife's side his highest priority - even higher than going to the Olympics.
The USA canoe team won the gold medal in Paris. Bill's wife was so late in giving birth to their first child that Bill could have competed in the Olympics and returned home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People thought, "What a shame." But Bill had no regrets. For the rest of his life, he knew he had made the right decision - family first!
Twenty-eight years later, Bill received a cablegram from his son Frank who was competing in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. The cablegram read: "Dad, I won. I'm bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for me to be born."
Frank had won the canoeing gold medal his father gave up so he could be there when Frank to be born. Both father and son were Olympic champions of the heart.
Have a great Father's Day Weekend.
2012 Olympics start in 41 days!
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