Nowadays, you hear a lot about boys who become fathers and instead of "manning up," they leave. You hear a lot about mothers who run out on their children because they can't handle it. They leave because a situation is uncomfortable or they do not think they can handle the responsibility. They abandon the family for selfish reasons; they leave a trail of broken hearts everywhere they go. These people that chose to be selfish have given a bad reputation to those who are hard-working, faithful, loving, and supportive. Those that do not leave because they want to but because they have to.

I was lucky enough to be raised by a man who left. He left for weeks at a time going to oilfield locations and sending his check home to us. He missed countless ball games, pageants, and award ceremonies, but his love cannot be measured by what he missed. His love is measured by his willingness to leave, to work away from home to give our family the life he hoped for us. It has never been easy for our family to do without him but it never goes unappreciated. He could've taken a cut in pay at any point in time and stayed home with us, but he chose harder work, longer hours, and more miles between us so we could afford a nice education, multiple hobbies, and yearly family vacations.

I was lucky enough to have a mother drive two hours round trip to her nice office job. She works long hours crunching numbers while being a full-time mom and part-time student. I'm even luckier now to have a boyfriend who works off-shore for three weeks at a time while most guys his age are still letting their parents pay their bills. Sacrifice is honorable, noble, and above all else it is hard. I don't believe for one second that the choice to work long hours away from home is an easy choice to make, but it has to be made.

Most leave the home to provide for their children. Nurses work night shifts, police officers have to make arrests, surgeons have to be at the hospital at 4 a.m., lawyers work long nights writing depositions; the list of people who must sacrifice their time so their families can have a better life is miles and miles long. Leaving is no longer a choice for most families in America; in 2015 alone U.S residents logged 455 million business trips. That's 455 million times a person chose to leave in order to afford their lifestyle.

Let us honor families and the unique bond that holds them together. Leaving for days on end or working tirelessly in the home both selflessly serve the family unit. We need to encourage one another; our generation will be stronger for it. There are times when their absence is painful and seems neglectful, but remember your loved ones do not leave in vain. I encourage you to call someone who leaves you and tell him or her how much their sacrifice means to you. Leaving home is easy for some; for others it's the hardest, but best, choice they will make.