Heroes

Listening to my wife and son read the book, "Who is Barack Obama?" aloud warms my heart. Kavaun recently finished similar books about Jackie Robinson and Nelson Mandela.

Kavaun, I love your curiosity and compassion.

At this time, I am certain that my children will be looking to their older counterparts in Parkland Florida and at our last president for cues on how to lead with courage, decency, conviction and purpose.

I will never forget baby Kavaun sleeping in our living room as his mom and I listened to Barack Obama's acceptance speech in Chicago on the night we helped elect him president. With a full heart, watery eyes and optimism we told our newborn son that he was witnessing history. Even though he had fallen asleep, this was not a dream.

One of the most memorable nights of my life.

Truly.

Shockers

Last Thursday we had a rare night off in our JV Basketball season so I ended up home and on the couch. Flipping channels between a few games on TV, Kavaun managed to bounce around between four different offerings. A luck would have it, we found two great games that we enjoyed watching together - Wichita State v.  Temple and Purdue v. Wisconsin.

On a night away from the gym, here we were laying around enjoying games that did not even involve our favorite teams.

Prior to finding a very entertaining Shockers - Owls game, I was on my phone thumbing through the news of the day and just passing the time mindlessly.  I am so glad I stopped what I was doing and just cuddled up with my buddy and experienced those two games together. I completely invested in the moment and as simple as it seemed, I had so much fun being a fan and having Kavaun to share the experience.

I am trying to slow down and be more mindful in the moments that come with so much feeling but could just as easily pass by without notice if I were not paying attention. Whether it's at home, in my classroom or coaching I feel like I am soaking up all of teaching and parenting. Yes, it can be tiring. It is also a pretty unique time in life worth tuning in to experience.

At peace.

N