Author: Tyler Baker
Editor: Ben Williams
Date: 1/21/2017
I
often look back on the last 3 years of my life and ask why I have given
so much time, money and energy in fighting a battle to see my kids.
It's overwhelming sometimes to think I've exerted enough energy to
supply Las Vegas with 24 hours of power. I'm left wondering if I am
supposed to be a dad or just move on, give up, and fight a different
battle. I never thought my first marathon would be an ongoing battle to
love my kids, I thought maybe it'd involve shoes and a road.
When I
have these feelings of defeat, I am then reminded of a mere 5 seconds
that changed my outlook on life. This picture is from June 4th, 2011;
which also happens to be the same day my youngest was born. After
working a 12 hour shift overnight at the hospital, I found myself
driving behind a military convoy heading to a training session. The
rumble strips woke me up, but before I could even move my foot to brake,
I plowed into a Military truck at an estimated 50 MPH. Dazed and
confused, glasses broken, and my phone smashed, I looked over to the
passenger door and saw a military man prying the door open to pull me
out, their training session became a real life rescue mission. He
reached in my car and me pulled out, carrying me to the field nearby. I
looked at him and said, "my daughter was just born." In an attempt to
keep me conscious, he asked me to tell him about her and how beautiful
she was. Within what seemed like a few moments, an ambulance arrived and
brought me to the hospital. I walked away with a mere bruise from the
seat belt and I was able to walk away and go home that same day.
If
ever I feel defeated, I remember this day. A day that if I were not
supposed to be in their life's, the big guy upstairs would have let me
know and called me home. Not a single person, even their mother, can
look me in the eyes and say "sorry, you can't be in their life". Because
this story, this picture, is testimony, that in fact, I am MEANT to be.
