Priceless Jewels

      
     JASON smiled with a grateful heart as he sat in the airplane, finally, he thought to himself, it was real, this was happening, he was going to play for the Charlotte Bobcats, ‘yes, yes, yes!,’ he shrieked in joy as he punched his fist in the air, he didn’t notice the little girl beside him, who had asked him a question. ‘Sir, sir,’ she said as she poked him harder, he frowned as he turned to see who was intruding his moment of celebration,  he had the intention of giving a polite refusal to any conversation, but then he looked and saw the cutest face with the huge brown eyes staring up at him, he smiled, he knew he could not refuse a conversation, as he thought of  his little one Melvin looking up to him with the same big brown eyes, saying 'Daddy play ball.'

      'Pretty lady, what can I do for you?' he asked, 'What is a priceless jewel?' she asked, Jason looked at the bold words PRICELESS JEWEL finely designed on the cover of the Belle Armoire Magazine on the girl's lap. He opened his mouth, but was stuck, he could see pictures of beautiful glittering diamonds and pearls in his head but it didn’t just fit in, he struggled with it for seconds and finally mumbled some words, the little girl simply nodded, 'thank you sir,' she said and slept off. 

      Throughout the journey as the little girl slept, he pondered, he felt there was a right answer to the question and that was the answer she wanted. As he got off the plane and bid her goodbye, he resolved to get the right answer.

      Six months later, laid on the hospital bed about to go into the operating room, Dr Ben standing over him, asking ‘Jason, you know the minute you enter that room, your career--?’ Jason nodded, he knew what would happen to his career, but there was no way he was going to stay and watch his son die, Dr Ben himself said, getting a kidney could take days, weeks or even months, and Melvin didn’t have that time. 

      Playing for the Charlotte Bobcats for the past four months was a dream come true for him, and of course he wanted to live the dream fully, but his son was his ultimate dream. 
In that moment, he remembered the little girl’s question, ‘Sir, what is a priceless jewel?’


      The tiny feet that patter round the house, the bubbly giggles that fill up our room, the soft hands that tug hard at our hair, the arms that stretch out to us in trust, the cooing voices that deprives us sleep at two in the morning . . . they are our PRICELESS JEWELS, our children, and for them we must go the extra mile

#ourchildrenourtomorrow.