50 Saturdays

I recently updated a written list I keep in a drawer in my basement.  It's a list of every UGA football game each of my boys has been to.  I put the year, the opponent and whether we won or lost.  Once they are grown, I want them to know how many games they've been to, what all stadiums they've been in and what their 'record' is.  I was amazed when I updated the list after we returned home from our bowl game.  My oldest son, Morgan, has been to 50 Georgia games.  He's eight.  My six-year old, Tanner, has been to 30.  My four-year old, Walker, has been to 11.  I looked at Morgan's...50.  I couldn't believe it was that many.  Then something good hit me.  That's 50 Saturdays that he and I have spent together over the last five years. 

We have a strict rule in the McInnis house:  no college football without being potty trained.  So, our boys were each three when we started taking them to games.  50 games.  50 Saturdays.  30 games.  30 Saturdays.  11 games.  11 Saturdays.  Those Saturdays from my childhood are some of the most vivid memories I have.  I remember sitting in the stands with my parents and brother, tailgating with friends, and heading to a handful of 'road games' with just Daddy.

I have those same vivid memories with my boys.  We have found something to cherish together.  And, after a few years, the memories have snowballed into a bunch of days of Father/Son fun.  That's what we do in our house.  We've spent a lot of time and money on it, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  We've seen a lot of victories, but most importantly, we've seen a lot of each other.  Those are Saturdays I could have gotten a lot more yard work done.  They are Saturdays I could have gotten more sleep or studied my sermon notes a little more.  Instead, we got up early, got our boys dressed in red and black and headed out for an all-day and often all night affair.  As time passes, I remember the laughter in the truck and the funny things said and done at the tailgate or in the stadium more than I remember the wins, losses or touchdowns.

If we're not careful, we parents can find ourselves swamped by life.  There is always laundry to be done, grass to be cut, work to be done, and a house to be cleaned.  There are always excuses why we shouldn't be kids again with our kids all day.  However, you won't regret your grass, your house, or the laundry that didn't get cut, cleaned or washed.  We WILL regret the memories that we wouldn't take time to make.  God has entrusted our children to us for a short time.  He is honored when we have his heart.  He loves spending time with His children, and loves it when we spend time with ours.  You're probably not as much of a college football nut as me and my boys are, but I hope you have something -- hunting, fishing, shopping, painting, scouting, music -- that you do with your kid that snowballs into a mountain of memories and time spent together.  And I hope you live it up while you can and they're still young.  That dirty house will still be there when you get back, but one day you'll wake up and be headed to a high school graduation that night and it will all be over.  So enjoy that messy house while it lasts.