Team Family

Dear Kiddos,

Together, we’re a team.

In pondering our one-word family focus this next year, we read some wonderful quotes from John Wooden, an amazing basketball coach and person:

“A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork.”

“Team spirit means you are willing to sacrifice personal considerations for the welfare of all. That defines a team player.”

“If you’re not making mistakes than you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”

“It is the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

“Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.”

No matter what goals we set or what plans we make we believe in the power of a team. And applying a team philosophy to a marriage and family unit not only makes sense, we think it’s essential.

We will have ups and downs. Wins and losses. Sometimes we will fall together. Sometimes we will fall alone. It’s my hope that we will see those moments as opportunities to grow. To grow closer to one another, and most importantly to grow closer to God, Our Eternal Father, Our Savior, Jesus Christ and The Holy Ghost. We believe they are our true coaches. They believe in us.

And while dad and I will step in as ‘assistant coaches’ in this journey of life, we too know that we are team players learning right along with each of you. We believe our marriage is a team effort – as equal teammates we fill very different roles, but that’s okay. Because equal was never meant to be the same. Equal is about creating balance on a scale. Teammates are needed to fulfill different yet distinctly important roles. We don’t keep score, but commit to ourselves and each other to be better today than we were yesterday.

As parents, we believe our family is fundamentally designed to be a team unit. And like any successful team, we believe it’ll require mindful practice, commitment, time, love, and all kinds of unique elements among individual team members.

That’s why we embrace those small and simple things. It’s why we turn to the scriptures each day. It’s why we pray. It’s why we choose to build family traditions like dinnertime, weekly times together, date nights and all kinds of outings together.

Because we know those moments will strengthen our team. We’ve seen it happen already, and we know it can continue.

As we close this year and begin a new one, it is our hope that no matter what one-word focus we choose, we are mindful to apply these words of wisdom to our ‘team family.’

A team is stronger together.

We’re in this together.

We’re on the same team.

Love,

Mom and Dad