Upper Levels

Freeze frame any time period of your life and study it a minute. What did you spend your time doing? What were your dreams then? Is that "most important thing" in your life still most important, pretty important, not even important at all?

Now that I am old and wise, I see it's a pretty common pattern for teenagers to think that high school is their life. Everything important is defined by success in athletic and academic endeavors and relationships. Remember when your world revolved around championships, cramming for tests and hanging out with friends?

In high school, I was a brainiac who had a knack for writing. Very few athletic skills other than walking and chewing gum at the same time. Actually, not much has changed in either department.

When I think of how much emphasis is placed on sports – by no one in particular – it surprises me how few of those high school jocks and jockettes go on to play in college and beyond. Are they burned out? Not good enough for the next level? Or just have other priorities? I applaud them for being adult enough to figure it out.

We've had a few seniors at Assumption recently sign letters of intent to participate at the college level for various sports: football, baseball, softball, and soccer. I'm proud of these "kids" and have enjoyed watching their athletic – and leadership – skills develop over the years. Pretty cool. Hope they do well!

I remember when Carter was little and we figured he was destined to get a scholarship in either soccer or juggling. (See photo taken 8 years ago today.) Guess what? He IS playing soccer in college.

Granted, it's a one-credit physical education course. But he's playing.

Never give up on your dreams, kids. You never know what God has in store for you!