Saturday, May 13, 2006
It's More Than Golf
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As I am sure most of you are aware, Tiger Woods' father, Earl, passed away this week after a long battle with cancer. Tiger has been very public over the years about his affection for his parents, especially the man he calls "Pop." Earl and Tiger challenged one another to become better people and to realize each other's potential. In the final analysis, it really looks like both were accomplished.
Their relationship is a great example of the type of thing we take for granted all too often in life. More than golf, and more than anything immaterial in life, it is family and friends that make life as great as it can be. Certainly, life is more than just people, but it is people that make the life story complete. This occasion serves as an opportunity to realize that all over again and be thankful for the people we are given in our lives.
We don't need for a high-profile athlete to show us that family really matters more than almost anything in the world. But I can draw parallels between the relationship that I have with my parents and what I have seen from Earl and Tiger.
I feel that I have been blessed with great parents who have played a very important role in guiding me to the place I am now — a place I am very happy being. They nurtured me and my interests and let me find my way into the things that make me go. They never held me back, but rather pushed me to the places they knew I could go if I only had the courage. Mom and Dad have always been the first two people to congratulate me when things go right, and were the first two to reassure me when they did not. And quite frankly, they're the first two people I turn to when the defining moments of my life happen.
Sure, not every parent-child relationship is that way. I know I'm lucky in that regard. But even if your relationship with your parents is not that good, I am sure you can think of a similar relationship that means just as much to you personally. At some point, we all have a confidant, or a mentor, or a love that means as much to you as Tiger's father means to him.
I suppose what I am asking you to do is take time to validate those relationships in some fashion. It doesn't have to be extravagant, over the top, and public. It could be something very simple and understated. Just make sure that do you do in a way that is comfortable for you and that the other person understands the gesture. We are constantly reminded that we do not have a lot of time, but we always seem to forget that lesson because we are so darned busy living our lives. In reality, making someone aware of how special and important they are to us only takes but a second or two — a handshake, a pat on the back, or a hug will do just fine.
Please forgive me if this column seems contrived or corny. Or perhaps I upset you because this writing has nothing to do with golf — which is what I'm supposed to be writing about each week. Like the title, though, there is a lot more to life than golf. Sometimes, it is important to take events like this in context and present them in a broader way that has some real impact on our daily lives. After all, this event has a much deeper impact on Tiger than just his golf game. It is his life that is changing.
I have used the present tense to describe the Woods' relationship. I did it for a reason. They say that as long as you remember someone that you are never really without them in your heart. I am sure that Tiger believes this and that he cannot ever possibly forget what his father has done for him. And because of the kind of man that Earl Woods was, the world will not soon forget what his son does everyday. As a parent, that is the ultimate accomplishment and legacy to leave. As a son, that is the ultimate gift — one never repaid and certainly never forgotten.