Why 2023 was the best year of my life

(PEORIA, Ill.) — There’s no better feeling than equilibrium.

Life flows up and down, in and out, but when you are fully aware of who you are and are joyful with how your life is going, you retain a sense of peace.

The constant joy in my life is my wife and my son, hands down. I have two jobs at the moment (with a potential third coming in 2024), but no career, no accolade, no promotion can amount to the deep honor I feel to be the husband of Rachel and the father of Bennett. I tell everyone that my greatest title is “dad” and “husband.” It’s true!

When Bennett was born in September 2022, I was working a job that had me waking up at midnight some nights, and 2:30 AM the other nights. Combine that with a newborn baby waking up every 2-3 hours to feed and be changed, it made for hellish nights and really rough mornings.

I loved journalism, I still do. I still get to achieve that goal I had in college of being a journalist as a Media Relations Coordinator and Director of Communications for my respective jobs. But at some point, you reach a moment where you have to reevaluate your life and make a decision. That is where I was at the end of 2022.

I am abundantly grateful for the job I took at OSF HealthCare, where I started early February this year. Not only do I have a wonderful team, but I have a supportive boss who makes her team want to work hard and do an excellent job. That’s a rare thing to have, so cherish it if you have it. Plus, I still feel like I am doing good for my community by writing medical stories that offer beneficial medical advice for parents, families and individuals.

That same month I started working for OSF, I got a call with an offer to work for Peoria City Soccer. Not everyone knows, but I played soccer all the way from 4-years-old through senior year of high-school, then intramurals in college. I am a huge soccer fan and an advocate for Peoria, so putting these two passions together was a no-brainer. I ended up being promoted at Peoria City to Director of Communications, where I am still at today. I have a lot of pride in our club and am once again thankful and blessed to work with such a great crew, and have a manager I greatly respect and enjoy working with.

This year has been a wonderful opportunity to experience family travel in a way I never have before. We went to Disney World, Wisconsin, Florida, Minnesota and more. A lot of people seem to be scared to travel with kids. Can it be tough at times? Sure! But so can traveling alone or with your partner. Things happen, and you have to adapt appropriately.

I was also privileged to be a content creator for the City SC Report, a fan-based publication that covers St. Louis City SC, the newest expansion team in Major League Soccer. I was on the field for most home games shooting video of the action, it was amazing.

The greatest trip of the year was my adventure to Ireland alongside my dad and brother. This was a trip decades in the making, one my dad had told me he wanted to take since I was a young kid. We got to experience the Emerald Isle as a family, searching for family history and trekking through beautiful scenery all across the country. This is a place I absolutely want to take my own family to one day. Ever since, I’ve been building relationships with people and businesses there, so I believe this will happen soon.

The highlight of my year has been to see my son grow. I’m a proud dad. I’ve said those words to him since he was a newborn and didn’t know what the heck I was saying. Now, he’s starting to understand the things we’re saying and I hope he feels the pride I have in being his dad. He’s a hilarious kid. Could easily be a Gerber baby. I joke that he’ll be a Hollywood superstar one day, it’s possible. But it’s his joyful energy that is his most attractive quality. Everyone always says “he’s always happy!” He gets that from his mom. He’s always smiling, laughing, playing and loving life. Whether it’s snuggling his stuffed dog animal we creatively named “Puppy,” being ornery and acting like he’s going to hand you something then he pulls it away, or raising his hands in the air and yelling “AHHHH” simultaneously with his dad like a couple of cavemen.

As I write this article, Bennett is going through his first real cold since being born. It’s turned me into an anxious daddy, but I think it’s also brought us closer and led him to see I’m his protector. All throughout the day I’ll be checking his temperature, wiping his nose, giving baby medicine when needed, and putting the baby’s version of Vicks VapoRub on his chest and just ensuring he’s taken care of. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been fulfilling. Keeping him safe and healthy is my top priority, and you have to step to plate when you’re needed. When I’m in another room doing something, he comes searching for me yelling “dad!”

I think there’s something about a mother’s love us dads just can’t replicate. There’s this closeness a child feels with their mother that brings them peace. Maybe it’s the heartbeat they were close to for 9 months inside the womb, maybe it’s their mother’s scent and voice, maybe it’s all these things. As a dad who wants to be active in my son’s life, sometimes I want that same closeness with my kid. But I have to remind myself that maybe my hands are too rough, maybe my facial hair is a bit scratchy, and maybe I don’t smell as good as his mom. Just kidding, I always smell good.

But what I have realized is while the snuggling nature my wife and son have, my son always wants me around. He might not want me all up in his grill, but he feels safe with me standing in the room with him. And that’s all I need. Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes my kid just wants to be held by his dad and I’m not complaining one bit. And yes, I do sing my son to sleep. We start with a little slow country for a song or two, then switch to a Jonas Brothers song, and he’s asleep. Works every time.

What do I wish for in 2024? A lot of things. I hope to travel to new places. Every year I want to see at least one new place. I want to continue succeeding in my jobs, moving the needle forward and perfecting my craft. I’ve started collaborating with businesses on content creation, showcasing restaurants, wineries and resorts. I want to do more of that, and I have many plans to! There’s a lot more, but I’ll leave it at that for now.

As always, I’m very thankful for the people who have followed this journey of mine. You don’t have to, but you want to. You enjoy the things I’ve done and you wish the best for me and my family. I’m thankful for that. So raise a glass of your favorite wine, beer, spirit, milk, water heck I don’t care, and drink to the end of another year on God’s green earth. God bless you all.