My son, a Slusher

You know, it’s funny, I stood in my kitchen Monday morning and wished John-Michael a happy birthday as he looked me in the eye. And I thought to myself “when the heck did that happen?” Feels like yesterday he was born, now he is 15. I remember holding him for the first time and thinking how it is my job to teach him to be a man of integrity, a man of honor, a man named Slusher. I have tried to do that every day of his life and don’t believe I will ever stop instilling these values into him. 

Being Slusher means never giving less than 100%. It means always being honest, even when that truth hurts more than a lie would. It mean always doing the right thing, even when no one is around to pat you on the back. It mean his mother, future wife, and future daughters never see a violent act from him, and that he approaches any person or situation with a level head, soft hands, and an understanding heart. And it means learning from every mistake, winning more than you lose, and always leaving everything you got on the field, in the classroom, at your job, or in whatever else you doing.

Saturday, at about 12:30, I will sit on the sidelines and watch as the Gahanna Lions Freshman Football team takes the field against Huber Heights Wayne. And while he may not be the captain, or superstar of the team, he has chosen to endure months of conditioning and exhaustive practices just to have the opportunity to be on the field representing his school, his hometown, and his family name. And that makes me prouder than anything he could ever do between the lines.

Day # 179, my boy looks like a grown man in his pads. It is good to be me!