The Kentucky Derby & Fatherhood

I was thinking about fatherhood this past weekend in my derby attire as Rich Strike shocked the world with his long shot victory at the Kentucky Derby. No surprise…I think about fatherhood a lot.

My main fatherhood application didn’t happen until the next day when I heard the backstory from the trainer during a news conference.

But before that, I was able to enjoy a fun teaching moment with my kids.

Sunday morning before church I queued up the race on youtube.

As they were staring at the gates - tv on pause - I told my 6 and 4 old to pick a number and that would be their horse.

My 6 year old belted out #21! My 4 year old who loves to do whatever his big sis is doing…"I pick #21 too!"

I smiled.

They had just unknowingly picked the winner! (I’m considering taking them to a horse race in the near future to test their talents...or luck!)

At the first turn #21 was near the end of the pack. “Do you guys think your horse should just give up or keep going?!” I asked.

To be honest they didn’t know what to answer so I answered for them…”He has to keep going! The race just started! He can’t quit now!”

I continued cheering as the horses ran and my children watched the race (and me!) from the couch in their Sunday best.

It wasn’t until the last turn that #21 started to make a move and then once on the home stretch he really started to gain…

And then he won!

AHHHHHH!!! I got as excited as I could for a race that I already knew the outcome of and with two people who had no idea what a horse race was.

I had to ask…

“Remember when he was way in the back..

What if he had given up? What if he had just quit when he was so far behind?”

They just took in the questions.

“He would have never won!” I said.

And I added, “But even if he didn’t win, he did a great job of giving it his best all the way to the finish line.”

I ended my teaching moment with “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Maybe it will stick, maybe it won’t.

In the grand scheme of things, I know my Sunday morning Kentucky Derby teaching moment was just a blip on the radar.

But I’m glad I did it.

If I have enough of these “teaching moments” that reinforce the values of our family - it will stick.

It will not be in vain.

My family will reap the rewards for a long time.

Which is a perfect segue to my main takeaway as a father….

(This will have to be part 2! Will post tomorrow!)