2/40 - Map(s) Of The World

While I wasn't aware of it, some of the most important decisions that affected my life were already made by the time I was in my second year. These decisions were out of my control but ultimately shaped so much of who I grew up to be. Those decisions were made by my parents and how they chose to live their life. Whether intentional or not, their choices gave me my first map of the world at an incredibly early age. The known world around me became my frame of reference for everything I later decided for myself.

I was very fortunate to have my parents make the choices they made.

• My parents loved each other (and still do)
• Family was incredibly important to them (and it still is)
• My Dad worked at the same company from the day I was born until the day he retired.
• My Mom stayed home with me and eventually my three siblings.
• They made their faith a focal point of their lives, and thereby the life of our family.

These five decisions had been made and I was the first child in the family to grow up with their impact surrounding me. I didn't know it at the time, but in hindsight, I can see it in the photo albums and hear it in the stories that are told about those days on Burdette St. in Omaha, NE.

The impact that those early decisions make is something that countless studies have shown affects the trajectory of a child and something that I know terrifies many a new parent. Seeing how my sister in Ireland is dealing with her two kids under the age of 3 right now or watching my soon-to-be 2.5-year-old niece navigate Christmas with the family, it is incredible how aware they are and how formative these years will be on their future.