Sacrifices Are Worth It

"I don't mind it because I get to come to work here."

While these were words uttered by a fellow faculty member about his commute from the north side of the city to our school on a daily basis, those words could have just as easily have been mine. It's usually frustrating at least a few (or most) times a week, and it can be rather taxing/stressful when you have to be somewhere else in a relatively quick fashion, but the bottom line is it's worth it because I love where I live and I love where I work.

Life is full of sacrifices - they come with the territory. A these sacrifices are usually for a greater good, for something we (or a loved one) need(s)/want(s) more, to do something for someone else...

I think about one of our teachers who, with less than one month of school left, had to move across the country to take care of her mom who has Alzheimer's and who was also recently diagnosed with cancer. She didn't want to leave her students or colleagues at that point in the year, but her mom and family needed her. And she realized the sacrifice she felt called to make.

I think about my mom (and any working parent) who gave up practicing law (though she still keeps up her credits) to stay at home and take care of me and my sister when we were born. Now she spends her time as a classroom teaching assistant and volunteer at the school from which we graduated. When I look at her, she seems fulfilled, but it still was a huge sacrifice.

I think about a lot of other people too... 

• of our military men & women who put themselves on the line daily to protect our country and our freedom;
• of friends who have spent countless hours (and $$) on flights and car trips across the country (or even just a few states) to try to make the whole long-distance dating thing work out;
• of parents who have taken on a second job to pay for day care or (Catholic) school;
• of those who volunteer their time with their church, as a tutor, or with any other organization;
• of teachers who spend their own money (as well as time) to get their students the books and resources they deserve.

The list goes on because, again, sacrifice (big and small) is part of life, a part of (almost) every decision. Sacrifices make us a part of something bigger than ourselves - they connect us to our families, friends, coworkers, and even sometimes complete strangers. And sacrifices have the potential to remind us of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice - His own life on the cross. And it doesn't get any better than that.

Have a beautiful Memorial Day weekend!

(So...I'll admit that sometimes when I write, my posts take a turn I don't expect or plan from the outset. Today was one such occasion. I opened a blank page with the intention of writing about what I love about my job and how that outweighs the commute, but my mind and fingers took me elsewhere. Funny how that works sometimes... Thanks for bearing with me!)