As we drive to Salt Lake and home again I think we pass about 10 billboards with this father and son team on them. The billboard says something like "His father has been behind him for 65 marathons!" Then has a word such as DEDICATION or LOVE or INSPIRATION written in big bold letters. Every time we pass this billboard I think to myself wow what a cool dad! I have always assumed that Dick Hoyt was an athletic man who just decided to have his son, Rick, compete with him. But it was Rick who asked his dad to help him compete! If one on my kids asked me to compete in anything more than a 5k I think I would tell them to dream on. My friend Jill posted this video on her blog (thanks Jill!) with the warning of grabbing a tissue box before you hit play, I thought whatever I can handle watching this little video with out really crying. But I am now repeating Jill's advice GET SOME TISSUES!! I cried during the whole video! Later that night when I had Eric watch the video I thought I have already seen it I won't cry this time, well I was wrong! I eventually had to leave the room because I was crying so much as Eric kept hitting play on every youtube video about this father and son team.
On a different youtube video (a clip from the Today Show honoring todays real life heros.) we watched Dick Hoyt was talking about when Rick was born with cerebral palsy, the doctors told him and his wife that Rick would not be able to live a normal life, that he would be a vegatable his whole life and a burden to their family and the best thing that they could do would be to put Rick in an Institution. They didn't take the suggestion and they took Rick home and raised him with all the love they could offer. With the help of a computer that allows Rick to communicate he told his dad that racing helps him for that moment to forget his disablity and feel free. And from that day on a father lost himself in the service of his son competing in every race possible, not just marathons but ironman competitions! Rick has also graduated from college! I love the joy on Ricks face as he crosses each finish line and recieves each diploma, all because of the unselfish love of his father!
All I can say is the LOVE and DEDICATION this father has to bring joy to his son is AMAZING and they both are not only an ISPIRATION to me, but have become an inspiration to people around the world! They truly have inspired me to be the best mom that I can be, and I hope that I can bring the love and joy into my children's lives that Dick Hoyt has brought to his son!
This is a link to a story on the TODAY show about the Hoyts...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyiApzjIuzw
Now grab the tissues...
A Father's Amazing Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGRyYKF5jVY
6 comments:
wow! I guess I thought the dad would just finish...But he tried his very hardest. That is amazing! I am speechless...
How cool is it that you live right there in Logan! It is such a cute location. I went to Wilson Elementary, not too far from your home...I am sure your kids go there. I lived in Logan from the time I was 3 till we moved to Murray (when I was 14).
We lived at 330 N 970 East off of Canyon Road. I can't believe that the Island Market is still there. We'd go there after school and then walk home. I can't believe that my parents would let me walk home from there. In today's age, I don't know if I could. Is Logan still safe like that? Where is Eric working here?
I saw those two on Oprah and cried the ENTIRE show!! What an AMAZING thing!!
When are you moving back???
Isn't this the best story EVER. Sooooooooo amazing. Inspiring on every level!!
We live in Taylorsville and really like it. The are we are in seems kind of rural (there are horses, cows and the such across the street). When Todd found out he would be working downtown, we looked at some homes North of Salt Lake. They were really nice, but this one seemed to fit the bill just right. When are you guys moving back?
Post a Comment