“The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams and aspirations he sets not only for himself, but for his family.”
Reed Markham
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My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, You're tearing up the grass. We're not raising grass, Dad would reply. We're raising boys.
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About this quote
Meaning
This short anecdote makes a gentle but powerful point about what truly matters in the work of raising children. The father's reply to a concern about the lawn reframes the entire situation: the goal was never a perfect yard, it was the growth and joy of his sons. The word "raising" does double duty here, applying naturally to both grass and children, and that overlap is what gives the story its warmth. It is ultimately an argument for prioritizing people over appearances, and for protecting the space children need to play, explore, and be themselves.
Context
Harmon Killebrew shared this memory as a tribute to his father and to the kind of upbringing he received. The story has been widely quoted as an example of wise, loving parenting, and it resonates far beyond the world of baseball. It reflects a set of values centered on human connection over material tidiness, on the long-term work of nurturing a person over the short-term satisfaction of a well-kept property. The simplicity and humor of the exchange between his parents is part of what makes it so memorable and so easy to pass along.
About the author
Harmon Killebrew was a professional baseball player who spent the majority of his career with the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins during the middle decades of the twentieth century. He was widely regarded as one of the most powerful hitters of his era and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Beyond his athletic achievements, he was known for his gentle and humble character, and the warmth of this particular story reflects the kind of man those who knew him described him as being.
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