Family in FFF

The Second Part in FFF

Perhaps you've seen 'FFF' on a football helmet sticker, or maybe you've noticed it on this foundation's logo. 'FFF' stands for faith, family, and football; the order in which Ed prioritized his values. We're going to focus on the second part of that acronym– family.

Now, define family. That can be a tough one. Defining family, especially outside of our own situation, becomes very complex and varied. Ed Thomas prioritized his life. He valued his family second only to his faith. His value of family was not just about his wife and children. Ed always remembered where he came from and went out of his way to spend time with his parents, sisters, brother, extended family and in-laws.

Family may be difficult to define; it's often not determined by blood. One thing we can agree upon is the functions of a family. Our family should provide us with emotional needs of love, worth, fun, freedom, economic support, socialization, safety, health needs, and development of skills and values. That’s a lot of stuff. It takes a lot of time and commitment to live a life in which we truly value our family. Valuing our family is an action not a statement. Those of us that knew Ed Thomas know that he was a great role model for attending to all these things that come with placing a high value on family. 

Following Ed’s death, we all were able to witness the results of prioritizing one’s life and placing a high value on family. We saw a tribute to family by the entire Thomas family. How they responded at the most difficult time of their lives has served as an inspiration to us all. It all goes back to FFF.

In the busy life styles we lead today, it is easy to get caught up and forget our
priorities. We need to focus and find a way to commit time to our families. Where you put your time shows a lot about what you care about most.