My father has demonstrated to me what unconditional love means since I was born.
During the majority of my childhood I made this pretty easy for him; I got good grades, helped out around the house, went to church with my family every Sunday and excelled in sports. In high school I unintentionally put this love to the test as I refocused my priorities from my family and activities that would ensure I had a positive future to immediate pleasures.
My dad put a lot of effort into ensuring my brother and I had everything we wanted and were put in situations that allowed us to excel. When I was a kid, he spent the time and money to build my brother and I a basketball court at each of the three houses we lived in. (The one at his current house still stands and I can’t wait until my sons are able to play on it.)
Every summer he made sure we were able to attend basketball camps to allow us to continue developing our skills.
Even with him doing all of this, I still put my friends as a priority over things important to him. This was really hard on my dad, but his love was not given with conditions.
I’ve always been extremely grateful for the unconditional love I was given by my father, but now that I am a father I am especially grateful. Now that I am a father of two I am beginning to understand how truly blessed I was to have such an amazing example of what a father should be.
I am just beginning my journey into fatherhood, but I hope to be the kind of father he was for me.
Love you Dad!
Jacob Espinoza