Family FIRST. All else second.

Hello again and welcome back to my blog. This week I had to wait until Tuesday to complete this entry because yesterday, Monday, I was still in Utopia, Texas for Memorial Day Weekend with my family.

And that's what this post is about: Family. Family is FIRST. All else is secondary.

Okay, so a little about MY family. I come from a traditional family where my father provides and my mother cares. Both jobs EQUALLY important and both jobs absolutely necessary. I myself am lucky enough to participate in a traditional family. That model, I believe, is the most successful for raising successful children. And when you have children, that's the focus.

Okay, so my father is a dentist. I am an attorney. My younger brother, not pictured, is also a dentist. My sister has a Master's Degree and my youngest brother is in dental school. My father is the first generation, I am part of the second generation alongside my brothers and sister, while my kids are third generation Velas.

Now my father has 2 brothers that are also doctors. And they have kids that have become doctors, dentists, and lawyers as well. Like 3 dentists, 2 doctors, and 2 more lawyers with another one just getting into law school. SHEESH. My kids have NO IDEA the pressure they are under ; )

So my wife has asked me in the past "why/how is your family so successful?" And my response probably was a surprise to her. I told her that "I believe our family is successful because our parents put family first." My father is still married to our mother and my uncle is still married to HIS wife. Now my other uncle not so much but I believe he STILL put his family first, as best he could. And I have 2 other uncles that were successful in their own right as well as children but for purposes here, I am referencing those that went to professional school.

I believe FAMILY is the absolute bedrock, the FOUNDATION, to building success. Without it, your structure, any structure will be weaker. Like building a house, the first and most important aspect is the foundation. Screw that up and you are DOOMED. Show me a successful person and I bet their family is solid. Now of course there are exceptions to the general rule but generally, success starts at home.

So what do YOU care? How does this help YOU? I don't know. Maybe take some time to thank your mother or father for being there. Maybe understand that they are absolutely essential to any success you may want in the future. Maybe ask them for advice or spend some quality time together. Grab a bite and just "be." Your friends will come and go, but your dad will ALWAYS be your dad. Or you brother, or sister, or cousin or WHOMEVER! Take some time to just appreciate that. Together, you can accomplish such great things.

And for YOU, the father or mother who might be reading this. I know relationships are hard. Hell, they are outright freaking TERRIBLE at times. I know, I'm married. Jesus it's difficult. Very. Very. Difficult. But that's TOO BAD. If you have kids, it's just TOO DAMN BAD. Your job, now, as a parent is to give your child the VERY BEST opportunity to succeed. And I believe the foundation to that future success is TO MAKE IT WORK with your spouse or partner. It is no longer about YOU. Sorry, that time is OVER. Gone. Forever. It was fun while it lasted but it lasts no more. Your legacy, your child's future, rests in YOUR hands. Success is not easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it. But they're not. But YOU can succeed. And it starts at home. So make sure to do your best to get along with your spouse. Your children notice it, they notice EVERYTHING. There will be a ton of 'give' and 'take' and maybe more 'give' then 'take,' but hey, so be it. It's not about you, it's about that ONE thing....

(That ONE thing that is most important...FAMILY, City Slickers)