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Health & Fitness

My son, Matt Braun

 

Today I am grateful for my oldest son, Matt Braun. (Coach Matt, as he is known to many of you.)  It was more than a few years ago today that he was born in Sheboygan Memorial Hospital.  I won’t divulge his age for him. . .and me.   I’ll also spare the birthing details for all of our sakes, and get right to the gist.

 

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Matt is many things, (now there’s an understatement-LOL) but at the top is kind. . .and that didn’t start when he was an adult, it started when he was very young and it became the core of his character. When he was in second or third grade, he learned that a friend of his was afraid to walk to school because she was being bullied.  I did not know about this until the mom, a friend of mine from high school, told me when we were at a school event months after it began. “Every day he shows up at my door.  Every day he walks my daughter to school.  She is no longer afraid and Matt is responsible.”  What mom doesn’t want validation for what they are trying to teach, even if he is an eight-year-old enforcer?

 

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By now, if he’s even reading this, he’s squirming like a worm in a can.  Good.  The other day I wrote about the swirly line success takes.  That’s also Matt.  He’s like George Bailey from the old movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  He might never know the impact he’s had on people, but I do.  Maybe you do, too.  While no angel, he’s learned from every mistake, often the hard way.  He’s built a firmer foundation because of them.  He has been successful, yet it certainly hasn’t been a straight line.  Even now, as he lurches ahead, working as a middle school math teacher in Philly, as a coach for the Ed Snyder Youth Hockey Foundation and as a student in a doctorate program, his path isn’t straight.  There have been some pretty major twists and turns and plenty of real-life challenges.  Like the Energizer Rabbit, he just keeps running.

 

So today I’m grateful for Matt.  Not just Matt the baby who rarely cried, slept like a sloth-in-winter, ate table food without a tooth in his head and walked and talked in full sentences at nine months old.  Not just Matt the young boy who talked with everyone, helped his friends and adored his grandpa.  Not just the teenager who was wise beyond his years. 

 

I’m grateful for Matt the man.  Matt with the wonderfully wicked sense-of-humor and a gift for telling a story that would have any comedy club manager begging him to take the stage;  Matt the awesome dad; Matt the wonderful teacher;  Matt the all-around good person. (Keep this between us or you’ll blow his image.)  Happy Birthday, kiddo.  I love you and will always be here for you.  I can’t wait to see, ”. . .the places you’ll go!” J

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