Two long-faced boys exited the entrance and made their way toward me. “That mean lady won’t let us ride.”

“Yeah, I’m too short.”

“So can you ride if I go with you?”

Both boys nodded.

“Well, then I guess I’ll just have to ride it again.”

This wasn’t just any ride. This was a 4-D, concave video experience where the seats moved and participants were propelled (literally) into the action. The ride was a fabulous concept—that’s why my kids wanted to ride it again before we left. But for this mama with motion sickness issues, the ride meant one more chance I might toss my cookies and be dizzy for the rest of the day.

But I rode it with my boys, even though I didn’t want to. They yelled, screamed, laughed, and had the time of their lives. I, on the other hand, held onto the handrails, kept my head centered against the headrest, and closed my eyes for the whole ride, hoping not to enrage the motion sickness monster inside.

I could have told them no. I could have pulled the mama card. I could have even sacrificed grandma and let her get sick instead of me, but I didn’t. I rode it, even though I didn’t want to.

And as an adult, we to do things we don’t want to do all the time. Wash the clothes that keep piling in the baskets. Fix supper when we are exhausted and eating out would be much easier. Get up early and go to work when we barely slept the night before. Make an appointment that is scary and hard. Arrange our schedule around extracurricular activities, even when it’s an inconvenience and requires extra trips. Call in sick again when our infant is puking everywhere, and we can’t figure out why. The list could go on and on.

But making sacrifices for the ones we love is often the right thing to do. Being selfish is easy and anyone can do that. But going the extra mile for someone we love, even if it causes temporary discomfort, is worth the effort.

Watching my kids filled with excitement and joy. Knowing my home is taken care of and clean. Balancing my budget by eating at home. Being responsible and holding a steady job. Taking control of my health. Helping my kids find fulfillment in life. Loving and caring for my family. All these are rewards of doing the hard stuff. The rewards are definitely worth the momentary struggle.

So, this week, when you are struggling between selfishness and putting others first, take a chance and choose the harder thing. Even when you don’t want to.

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