Gratitude Friday...

During my dad's Auburn themed retirement party at work, my brother and I were discussing our Auburn family.  My brother, Adam, told us this story about grocery shopping with his youngest son, Miller (who is super cute, by the way).  Miller had on an Auburn shirt.  A lady walked past them and commented, "You have on the wrong shirt, little guy."  I don't remember if Adam said anything back to the lady or not.  Likely not.  He's a really nice guy.  

But in telling us the story his response was, "My son is wearing an Auburn shirt because my dad was a boy scout 50 years ago."

When my dad was a kid, the boy scout troop in his tiny Alabama town loaded up on buses and traveled to Auburn to serve as ushers at the home football games.  That's where Dad became an Auburn fan.  When it came time to decide what to do after high school, he chose to attend Auburn.  Going from fan to student.  

He graduated in 1973 as the first person in his family to earn a college degree.  

Those boy scout trips changed his life.  As well as his decisions to both attend college and go to Auburn when the rest of his family were Alabama fans.

He knew what a degree from Auburn gave him.  So he and my mom (also an Auburn grad) took us to Auburn whenever possible.  We had season football tickets and spent Saturdays in the fall dedicated to helping our Tigers win.  Sometimes we were successful.  Sometimes not.  But we loved our school regardless.  

When Adam and I reached that same spot in our lives of deciding what to do after high school, we both researched appropriately, considered other options and ultimately both attended Auburn.  Adam was wildly successful as a writer and then Editor of The Plainsman, our school paper.  I believe I might be the proudest sister who ever lived.  

In addition to being forced to read Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness for three separate classes, I did non-profit and helped build the second Auburn University Habitat for Humanity home.  

Go ahead.  Enjoy picturing me with a hammer.  Or roofing.  

Oh, the horror.

(Although, I seriously loved it.)

(And only Lit majors or crazy people who just loved Conrad will get that joke.)

We also met our spouses.  Which is a fairly important life event.  Both Carrie and Chris adore Auburn like we do.  In fact, possibly more.  They're pretty devoted.

So when our kids, all four of them, were still in the hospital we put them in Auburn caps.  My uncle, the one who just came for a visit, commented on how we were indoctrinating them early.  Mom said, Yes, we want them to want to attend college.  

But it's more than that.  College isn't necessarily the only path.  It's a darn good one though.  For me, it's about making sure Aubrey Kate and Rhys know their family history.  Of hard work and difficult choices.  Of making a lifetime of memories doing silly things like cheering "Bodda Getta" at football games.  Of building a family legacy of love, laughter and tradition.  

And for that reason, Miller and Noah and Aubrey Kate and Rhys will continue to wear their Auburn shirts.  Proudly.  

So all that to say, this week I am grateful my dad got on that bus full of boy scouts and headed to Auburn.  Grateful he chose college and Auburn at that.  Grateful he worked hard for 44 years.  Grateful he and Mom encouraged us to attend college (and Auburn at that).  Grateful I met a super cute band geek who made me laugh while attending Auburn.  Grateful to have had the priviledge of working four years to witness a precious family move into their brand new, first home.  Grateful to be Adam Jones' sister (cause he's a big deal).  Grateful to be part of a Jesus-loving, amazing, hard working, and yes, Auburn family.  

Thank you, Dad.