No Love Stronger

This weekend in Detroit at the 2009 NCAA Final Four there will be many players with amazing journeys on how they ended up making it to the Mecca of college basketball. None of the stories could be as amazing as the story of Michigan State’s big man Goran Suton. What makes this story so special is the sacrifices that Goran’s mother (Zivana Suton) had to endure to make a better life for her kids. An article on ESPN, Zivana shows that there is no love stronger then a mother’s love.

As young people I don’t think we fully realize all the sacrifices and hardships that our parents endure to improve the lives of their children. The one most gratifying thing to see as a parent is the success of their kids. This Saturday there will be many proud eyes looking on in Detroit for many reason not known by the viewers on television. What will make the accomplishment so special is the hardships and journey that some of these families had to endure to get to the top. I am a strong believer that individual’s that have a hard road to the top have more of an appreciation when they get there. This post is for all the parents that sacrifice for the benefit of their kids …Thank You!

"I didn't have a choice,' she said.”The only thing I thought about was protecting my kids and somehow giving them a better life. It's a mother's instinct to protect her kids. That's what I did. One day, you lose everything you have, your normal life, but the only thing you know is you have to make them feel safe." (Zivana Suton)

"The reason I'm here is because of my parents," Goran said. "They sacrificed the last 15 years of their lives to make my life better. Everything they did was for me and my brother. Everything they did was right." (Goran Suton)

"What happened earlier in my life changed me as a person," Suton said. "It made me appreciate everything so much more, especially in a country like this." (Goran Suton)

Defying the Odds

I was flipping through the channels last night and came across a great story on ABC News (click for YouTube link) about a very small person with a very large Heart. Tiffara Steward is 2009 V Foundation Comeback Award Finalists. When looking at Steward you might think it is strictly based on her 4’6” stature but it goes much deeper than that. Here are the reasons why Steward is such an inspirational story and great success:

Tiffara Steward stands at 4'6" and is thought to be the shortest collegiate basketball player ever. However, it is not her short stature that is Tiffara's greatest obstacle. She was born three months premature, weighed only two pounds, and underwent three surgeries by the time she was three years old. Tiffara still battles multiple permanent disabilities today; she is blind in her right eye, as she was born without a cornea, and has over 50% hearing loss in both of her ears. She has a leg discrepancy, and also battles severe scoliosis; her spine, to date, is still not completely fused. This was unknown to most of Tiffara’s teammates, coaches and administration until this year. She never uses her disability as an excuse in any aspect of her life; instead, she uses sheer courage and determination in the face of true adversity.

Many times as we go through our everyday lives we like to make excuses for ourselves and not give 100% effort because of minor stressors. Here is an amazing young lady that never looked at the obstacles she faced in her life as deterrent to do great things. The Next time you are having a hard day and want to feel bad for yourself think about others and how much worse you could have it. Try to go through every day with the attitude to brighten up someone else’s day!