Cold Case In Ellyson

When you have a teenage son and one nearly there, you find that communicating with them is not how it was. Some of our best conversations have happened phone to phone. It’s sad, in a way, but I’m grateful that to have some way of getting through to them.

After they head out to school, I send them a text, some words of wisdom, that I hope they carry with them throughout the day. Today I quoted Aristotle, one of my favorite philosophers: “Quality is not an act. It is a habit.” I chose that particular one because yesterday my oldest suffered a humbling defeat on the mound. There were tears (not new but also not a frequent occurrence), threats of quitting pitching (never heard that before), followed by a mumbled four-letter-word I pretended not to hear. I think he hit his nadir this weekend, and I hope Aristotle’s texted words will remind him of what he must do.