Dear Friends,

Many of the injuries I have sustained are from the 12 years of football I played from grade school through college. My uncle, who played for Notre Dame in the 1960’s, often lamented about his beaten body in his later years. One of the final thoughts he spoke to me a couple weeks before he passed was “I should have played chess!” I quickly reminded him that he really wasn’t smart enough for that game. 😊 He growled, laughed, and agreed.

Despite its physical toll, I’ve learned many great life lessons from football. And not only during the games, which were always hard-fought battles. The core of my memories came from practice, the workouts in the off-season, and the connections I made with my family and teammate’s families. It really becomes an extension of who you are. A makeshift fraternity.

One of my absolute favorite memories is actually from my second year of football in 6th grade. I was an outside linebacker. The coach gave us a scouting report! You wonder why Ohio State is so great at football? Yes, they scout little league games in Ohio for crying out loud!

Our opponent for the week had a tendency to run a screen pass after a certain handoff up the middle. Well, they ran that handoff play, and sure enough on the next play they threw the screen pass. I was sitting on it, and I intercepted the pass on the 50 yard line. As I was sprinting towards the end zone, I looked to the sidelines and could see my Jido (grandfather in Lebanese) George running down the sideline, pumping his fist in the air and yelling, “That’s my grandson! That’s my grandson!”  

What the heck is the point of this story? The point is that my memory — that play — was made special and is etched into my mind because of the family and support I had at the game. I eventually played receiver and defensive back, and scored my share of touchdowns and interceptions. I made plenty of impactful plays on the field, but few had an active interaction with a loved one like that.

Supporting the ones you love is of uttermost importance. Good times aren’t as good when you are alone, and bad times aren’t as bad when you have support. This could mean whispering in a loved one’s ear that it is okay to pass while you are at their bedside. Or encouraging and helping someone who has had surgery or an injury can lift their spirits. Better yet, be there for the wins in life and take part in the joy that loved ones experience. I think of the Plymouth girls soccer team winning 2 state championships in a row, and how it lifted not only the players but also their families and the community.

Life is full of laughter and crying, and they are both, as Jack Johnson sings, “better when we’re together.”

Catalyn: a multivitamin for the whole family. Standard Process offers Regular, Gluten Free, or Chewable for kids.

God Bless,

Dr. Dan