RUNNING IN THE RAIN

One of our favorite family activities is going for walks in our neighborhood. Though we have several routes, our standard is up Vinewood Blvd. to Washtenaw Avenue, which we affectionately call the "Washtenaw" walk. 

This week, Cate and I decided to go for an evening Washtenaw walk. The temperature was pleasant, but the sky looked a little cloudy - not dissimilar to many nights this time of year. Undaunted, we headed out. We talked about school, sports, and what she was looking forward to this summer. 

However, once we reached the halfway point, the sky began to darken a little more. A few raindrops beat down on our heads. Within a few minutes, we are caught in the midst of a downpour! 

Fortunately, we had on our running shoes, and we decided to ran the half mile, or so, home. We managed to avoid getting completely soaked, but it felt refreshing to be out there together. 

Not waiting for the rain to pass; rather, running in the rain is one of the simple pleasures that makes life beautiful.

DUCKING HOME

At the end of each semester, the staff at the Daily Orange, Syracuse's school newspaper, who are rotating off their positions write columns called "Ducks." Today, I stumbled across the column Nicholas wrote after finishing up his term as Sports Editor.

The columns are heartfelt and offer shoutouts to the other staff members who have touched them personally and professionally. For obvious reasons, I found Nicholas' to be particularly moving. What became clear was just how influential and important his time at 230 Euclid, the address of the "D.O." as the Daily Orange is affectionately known, has been.

The number of people he thanked numbered into the twenties, and it felt so good to read about and "meet" the many individuals who have looked out for our boy and made him the tremendous writer, editor, and leader he has become at the paper and beyond.

I could not be more proud of Nicholas and how much he has grown since going to college I feel so happy that we encouraged him to leave home to attend Syracuse so he could chase his dream of becoming a journalist. His "Duck" clearly demonstrates that these he is right where he belongs - in his new home!

PATIENT ADVOCATE

Unfortunately, bad things often happen to good people. Our first reaction is to state the unfairness of these situations. However, the universe has no room for fairness or unfairness. Things happen - and not necessarily for a good reason.

I was reminded of this with a recent patient, whom I met in clinic. He had recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. and wanted to transfer his care to us 

I could not point to anything he had done to increase his risk for this cancer. It was caused by mutations that occurred by chance. He had lost the genetic lottery, but I did not feel that explaining this to him would provide much in the way of comfort. Rather, I tried to focus on what we might do to help him. I explained the odds were long and that he had already had a "Hail Mary" with his first treatment that took place when he was quite ill in the hospital. I was concerned about what more we could do to effectively shrink the cancer. Despite that, I explained that we wanted to be aggressive about reducing the symptoms the cancer was causing. With that, I admitted him to the hospital for further work-up and symptom management.

He and his family seemed relieved to be going back in, but I could also sense that they felt overwhelmed. I cannot imagine what it is like to be in there position. The only experience from my own life that comes close is when my mom was admitted after a surgical procedure. Fortunately, one of my med school friends knew her doctor and put us in touch. Over the course of that weekend, her doctor kept me updated and even listened to my many suggestions. I felt empowered knowing that I was playing a productive role in helping my mom get better. 

I now appreciate that families who come off as "demanding" or "difficult" are just trying to advocate for their loved ones. Let that be a reminder that we should all be so lucky to have an advocate like that. 

PHOTO FINISH

One of our customs - or rather, my custom - when we travel is to have the waiter take a photo at dinner. This week we have been in Madrid, where Nicholas studied abroad last semester, and we have had many great meals already.

Today, we dined at a Thai place Cate picked out called Kai Thai, which was excellent! We ordered many of our favorites, asking for a medium level of spiciness. Turns out the Spaniards have a very different sense of spiciness as their medium was a good match for my mild level back home. 

As you can see, it was a great meal with great company. Some things never get old!

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

The National Championships for youth soccer only come around once per year. This year was our third trip there, and the third time must have been a charm because Cate's Michigan Tigers 08 Girls Team finaly came away victorious!

It has been six years since Cate joined this club after our move to Ann Arbor. The first year, she was on their second team, but she quickly established herself and was promoted to the first team. Since that time, she has grown incredibly as a player and leader on the field. She plays central midfielder, which is like the quarterback of the team, and she is responsible for controlling play, starting attacks, and helping with defense. It is one of the hardest positions on the field, but she always excels in this position.

At Nationals, we swept the group stage without conceding a single goal. In the semi-final, we played our old nemesis, Plymouth Reign, who had knocked us out of Regionals in Kansas City one month earlier and who also beat us in the State Cup last Fall. Our girls had extra motivation for this match, and we took a 1-0 lead. Plymoith equalized, and the game headed in to extra time. In the second period, with just a few minutes left, Cate heaved a thunderbolt from near midfield. It clanged off the crossbar, and the keeper could not handle it. A teammate slammed the ball home for what would be the game-winning goal. The girls exploded in excitemnt at the game's conclusion, and a number of us parents embraced on the sidelines. They had slayed the dragon.

The final was much more comfortable as Tigers beat Ambassadors from Ohio 3-0. Cate was named "Player of the Match," as best player in the tournament for her age group. They even got some love from local media in a numbers of articles!

I am so proud of Cate and this team! It was a dream come true for Cate, and I am so glad I was able to witness it up close. 

This trip will go down as one of the most special of our 16 year soccer odyssey with Cate. Congrats, champions!

MEMORIES FROM THE MOUNTAINS

Dr. King famously talked about climbing to the mountaintop. Surely, he knew that the journey to the top with loved ones was much more important than the final destination. I can appreciate that sentiment after a wonderful week with our friends the Tais in Black Butte in central Oregon!

Kathleen has known the Tais for 30 years since medical school, and I first met them at their wedding when Kathleen and I were dating in the early 2000s during our time in Dallas. In Portland, we became even closer, as did our kids. In fact, whenever we get together, I always remark on how the kids seem much more like cousins than mere friends. Our trip to Black Butte, like our trips together with them there over the years, was no exception, even though their daughter was away for her job with the Peace Corps.

We took part in a variety of outdoor activities, including walks, pickleball, swimming, and scaling Black Butte. 

There were great meals thanks to Cindy and her son Noah, and fun television and board games, including a marathon match of "Catan." News flash, Noah won!

Sisters is the town nearest the resort, and we spent a few hours there, including a recent tradition ot getting pedicures, and a trip to the local coffeehouse, Sisters Coffee, which is always a treat! 

I look forward to seeing the Tais again and making it back to Black Butte! What amazing people and what amazing shared memories we have made there together!

ROCKCHALK JAYHAWK

Springfield, Massachusetts is the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, but Lawrence, Kansas, where basketball's founder James Naismith worked and coached, might just be the game's unofficial home. That would make Allen Fieldhouse there at the University of Kansas (KU) the game's chapel!

During our recent trip to Kansas City, we decided to pay a visit and take in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics at KU and see the rest of the town. There was so much to see, and we came away much more knowledgeable about the origins of the game and Naismith's and KU's impact on it. 

The team's name is the Jayhawks, and its mascot is a cute little bird named Big Jay. Needless to say, Nicholas had to get a shirt!

We also learned the origins of the team's chant, "Rockchalk Jayhawk!" The chant started off as, "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk!" Later, it evolved into the rockchalk version, supposedly because of the chalk rock, or limestone, where the campus is located. 

We took in the main drag called Massachusetts Street, which was filled with restaurants and shops, including a fun candy shop called Squishington's that had my favorite treats, inlcuding Charleston Chews and Bazooka!

It was a lovely day trip, and who knows, maybe Nicholas will be back there to cover a game someday!

KC, BABY!

Kansas City is near the center of the country. Fittingly, we have visited at the midpoint of the year the past several years due to Cate's soccer. This year was no exception, but we managed to fit in a variety of new activities.

Of course, we had to stop for barbecue. This year, we went to Joe's and took in ribs and burnt ends!

Last year, we saw a Copa America match in the men's stadium. However, this year, we saw an NWSL women's soccer match at CPKC Stadium, the first soccer-specific women's stadium. The host and league-leading Kansas City Current defeated Angel City in an exciting match!

Finally, we took in some history at the World War I Museum near downtown. It was incredibly informative, and I learned so much about the "War to End All Wars."

I am not sure when we will be back, but I always love visiting this town. Here's to KC, baby, which also happens to be the Current's fan chant!

A MASTERSTROKE IN MILAN

Like life, soccer is full of ups and downs. Last night, the Greenhills Gryphons evinced that saying on their way to the 2025 District Championship!

The Gryphons started off strong with a goal within the first five minutes. Soon thereafter, their opponent, Milan High School, countered with a goal of their own after the Gryphons' goalie bobbled a weak shot on target. From there, the game became a tight affair with few scoring opportunities. Despite the lack of additional goals, there was still plenty of excitement - mainly due to hard fouls committed by the Milan players, most of which went unpunished without yellow cards.

Time and again their players came in hard on our players, often knocking them to the ground after clattering into them. The referee had completely lost control and seemed quite unfazed by the violent level of play on the pitch. Similarly, the Milan parents were unbothered by their team's tactics. On spectator, presumably a father of a Milan player, echoed the same refrain every time one of their players victimized our girls, saying, "It's called soccer!" Needless to say, I was infuriated by that attitude and phrase.

The game went to extra time. Immediately after the kickoff, a Milan player rammed into Cate, who was defenseless and without the ball, sending her to the ground. There she lay for several minutes, though it  seemed like an eternity. I was so worried that it might be a ligament or a joint injury. Fortunately, Cate was able to walk off on her own power after sustaining what turned out to be a quad contusion. Within a few minutes, Cate was back on the pitch but visibly limping.

As the first period of extra time was winding down, the Gryphons won a corner. The ball was delivered expertly, and Cate rose up to meet it with her head, scoring what would turn out to be the game winner! Somehow, I had decided to film this play, and you can enjoy it for yourself below! Even more surprisingly, after the goal, I bit my tongue and did not utter the oft-repeated line, from the Milan supporters, "It's called soccer!"

Greenhills were able to run out the clock in the second period of extra time and seal the victory. Afterwards, we all basked in the golden hour of pre-dusk, late Spring, soaking up the win!

I could not be more proud of these young ladies, especially our Cate. She was a fearless leader all game long. I cannot wait to see what this team does in Regionals next week!

A MEMORABLE MEMORIAL DAY

It has been slow-going the last few years making friends outside work and finding a community here in Ann Arbor. In part, this is explained by the pandemic, but it is also a function of many people having existing, established friend groups at this stage of life. Undaunted, we have spent a lot of quality time together as a family, but sharing experiences with other people often makes things more memorable. That is why we were so happy to spend Memorial Day Sunday with the family of one of Cate's closest friends from school, whose older brother is also one of Nicholas' friends from the same school, at their lake cottage nearby Ann Arbor. 

There was great food and conversation and time spent on the water. Kathleen and I kayaked. However, the kids were the true adventurers, partaking in inner tubing behind the powerboat. Somehow, they hung on for dear life for several minutes! They were even brave enough to get back on the saddle and try it again after their first time out! 

Simply put, it was a Memorial Day to remember!

MY WORD THAT GIRL'S A STAR

Cate has been on an absolute terror these past few weeks on the Greenhills Soccer team. In the last three games alone, she has scored seven goals, including two occasions when she was the team's only scorer. Notably, nearly all of these goals were scored from shots taken outside the box, i.e., at least 18 yards from goal. That is a remarkable achievement over such a short stretch and something that few footballers at any level can claim, even Lionel Messi! 

As the team continues their playoff run next week, I look forward to seeing the magic that Cate will weave. She is truly one in a million!

BYLINE

Making one's way in the world has always been hard for people starting out in a new career. However, these are especially challenging times. That is why we were so thrilled that Nicholas landed an internship this summer with the MLive media group and the local paper "Ann Arbor News." You can find a link to all his work for that publication here.

He started work on Monday and by the next day, he had been dispatched to nearby Ypslanti to cover a local news story about a camp for students with disabilities at a local university. In the past week, he has knocked out three more articles, ranging form an award-winning local vegan bakery, the Taste of Ann Arbor food festival, and the Peony Garden in the U-M Arboretum. 

The articles are detailed and insightful and are written with a caring voice designed to inform the readership about their community. I cannot wait to read more of his work this summer and beyond!

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WORK HARD FOR THEM!

Last year at the time time, Nicholas did not have an positive responses to his internship inquires. He was quite sad, but he quickly got over it and focused on making some money working at the Racquet Club down the road. 

He returned to campus ready to hit the ground running last fall. He was bear writer for the track and field team, then the women's basketball team. More recently, he has been assigned to the flagship team on campus, men's lacrosse while successfully competing for an assistant sports editor position. He is three for three on being named to the Dean's list, and he is beginning to cultivate relationships with professors and fellow student alike. All in all, he is thriving and making the most of what Syracuse and Newhouse have to offer.

Because of that, I was so happy for him to hear that he had been offered a paid internship at our local paper, the Ann Arbor News, a publication of the MLive media group. He will be working in news this summer. On the side, he will be helping the local soccer club, AFC Ann Arbor with public relations and game recaps and player profiles.

It is so wonderful to see this hard-working, curious driven young man hit his stride. I could not be more proud. Keep reaching for the stars, son!

LIKE YESTERDAY!

We recently went on spring break. We were able to kill two birds with one stone on the trip by visiting colleges Cate is interested in for soccer and seeing old friends. 

We started off on the east coast and stayed with our friends Eddie and Liz from residenct, who have been living in Philadelphia for the past decade or so. They were wonderful hosts, showing us the city and keeping us entertained. We saw some of the tourist sites like the Liberty Bell and also checked out the wonderful Barnes Foundation collection of art. The latter was one of the greatest collections of art under one roof that I have ever seen.

Cate had a nice visit to Swarthmore, which we had seen with Nicholas three years prior, and we all came away very impressed by the students and the school.

Dave Donohue was one of my best friends in medical school, and he has been back in his howetown of Wilmington for the past 20 years. He and his family kindly hosted us, and we enjoyed our time together on several runs, playing pickleball, and just catching up. 

On our way to our next stop, Pittsburgh, we stopped off in the Longwood Gardens between Wilmington and Philadelphia. The grounds and the flowers were absolutely beautiful!

In Pittsburgh, we caught up with my former mentor from fellowship, Jim Herman, while Cate had a nice visit at Carnegie-Mellon. 

That night, we headed to Cleveland, the last stop on our trip. We saw our friends from fellowship in Baltimore, Hetty and Craig and explored the city. While she was doing a soccer camp at Case Western Reserve University, Kathleen and I took in some sites in Cleveland, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It was a fun week packed with new places but also old friends. I was reminded at each stop how fortunate I am to have made such amazing friends over the years and how medicine has taken me and my friends  all over. 

Cate has indicated an interest in biology and possibly medicine. We will see if she follows through on that. If she does, I hope she makes the same sort of connections that last a lifetime like we have. There is something so special about feeling like it was just yesterday when you saw certain people, even though it has been several years. Until next time!

SEIZING THE DAY

Sometimes it is difficult to appreciate how quickly one's children are growing up. This was not one of those days. 

Cate left for a soccer tournament in Arizona on Thursday with Kathleen. The Tigers played their first game yesterday. Cate scored the first goal. After the other team pulled one back, Cate converted a penalty as cool as you like to make it 2-1!

The Tigers added a third to secure a 3-1 victory.

Beyond the win, though something even more important had been taking place behind the scenes. We were aware that there would be several college coaches attending the tournament to scout players. However, unbeknownst to us, Cate had reached out to one of the coaches from a highly selective school beforehand and expressed her interest in that school and that team. As a result, the coach came to see her play. 

What happened afterwards was even more astonishing. Cate went up the coach and introduced herself and shared her interested in the school and the subjects she was passionate about. He complemented her, talked about the academic advantages of the school, and invited her for a school visit. She was so excited afterwards that she called us from the car to let us know what had happened! I was in awe!

I could not be more impressed by Cate's proactiveness and her self-advocacy. Pursuing your dreams is scary, especially when one does not have a good guide who has navigated that terrain, themselves. I know I often struggle with putting myself out there due to imposter syndrome. However, I have learned time and time again that achieving one's dreams is 90% hard work and just showing up. The other 10% is about luck, but we make our own luck! 

I am so proud of this young woman, who is growing up before our eyes. I know she has a bright future ahead of her, and I feel so lucky to be able watch her grow and take off!

THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Today is Nicholas' last day of winter break. It has been wonderful having him home these past four weeks, and we definitely fit a lot in!

We traveled to Texas, where we celebrated Christmas and New Years together. We went on many walks together. We watched a ton of movies. My favorite was "Real Pain." We listened to many podcasts - particularly those from Pop Culture Happy Hour, reviewing the movies we had just watched. We went out to to eat. Indeed, this morning we headed downtown and had a wonderful brunch at Sava's. Afterwards, we headed to Starbuck's for a drink.

These quotidian moments are what I miss the most when he is gone - that and interacting daily with a close friend who understands and accepts me.

I will miss Nicholas these next two months until his Spring break, but I know that he has an exciting semester ahead of him with amazing classes, journalism opportunities, and college life. 

Life is about letting go, but it also about holding on to the simple but beautiful experiences we are fortunate to share with our loved ones everyday. I consider myself very lucky to have had nearly 20 years with this fine young man. I hope I get at least 20 more!

SAN ANTONE

We have been coming to San Antonio for years since my sister moved here, but somehow every trip to this city feels special.

San Antonio exudes an ethos and pace that is refreshing in this world that is very self-centered and moving at 100 miles per hour. Here, there is a distinct feeling of community and blending of cultures and world views. Despite being the seventh largest city in the country, people appear to take the time to slow down, savor life, and enjoy time with their friends and families. At least, that is the feeling I get from observing people out and about in San Antonio.

I feel my heart beat slow do a little and the stress subside when I am in San Antonio. Maybe that is because I am not back home and away from all the pressure of the real world. Undercutting that is theory though is the fact that I have visited plenty of cities on vacation but none makes me feel this way. Perhaps it is the blend of family here, the city layout, the food, and the beauty of the Texas hill country. 

I will not try to explain San Antone. Instead, I will just enjoy it once again!