The Right Lever: Gratitude, Grace & Weems Day

The Right Lever: Gratitude, Grace & Weems Day

July 20 – Wheaton, IL

This morning, as we prepare to head home from Wheaton, Illinois, I’m sitting beside a quiet pond. One month ago to the day—June 20—Barbi and I were here celebrating our anniversary. A month has passed, and life, as always, continues to speak.

Before sitting down, I walked.

And during that walk, I reflected—not only on this present moment, but on what yesterday taught me.

Weems Day.

What a gift it was to witness. To be there as Bella and her friends stood behind their friend Jos, lifting him up as he competed with everything he had. No signs of pressure. No weight of expectations. Just a group of teenagers who chose joy, celebration, and unity.

Even though Jos didn’t win the final match, he walked off the lane with a smile and a grateful heart. That young man carried himself with class, with maturity, and with grace. And it wasn’t fake—it was real. It was earned. It was something his dad clearly poured into him over time.

And I saw that same spirit in Bella the day before. She didn’t win her match either. But she accepted her result with joy. With peace. With gratitude for the opportunity to simply be there, competing, growing, and living it out.

That, to me, is what this whole thing is about.

As I continued walking, I thought about what Jos and Bella both modeled this week—what the Weems family has modeled to me over the years:

Grace in the process. Gratitude in the outcome. Joy in the becoming.

I had a beautiful conversation with Jos’s mom yesterday. She said something that really stuck with me:

“As parents, we want grace from our kids… and we need to give them grace too.”

That family lives what they believe. And that belief has taught me something about how I want to show up—not just as a father, coach, or friend—but as a man.

After my time at the pond, I started walking again and listened to Dr. Rob Gilbert’s message. Then to Dr. Terry, who’s almost finished with her 314-mile race. She’s 76 years young, and still chasing growth, challenge, and purpose.

This life… it’s breathtaking when you let it be.

Not because it’s easy.

But because it’s sacred.

Even in the losses, even in the silence, even in the moments where something ends—it doesn’t mean joy has left. It means there’s something to reflect upon, to learn from, and to let shape you into a better version of yourself.

For me, the lever I choose to pull every day is gratitude.

It centers me.

It softens me.

It strengthens me.

And this morning, surrounded by trees and ripples, by memories and lessons, I pull that lever again. With reverence, with sincerity, with gentleness… and with deep support—for myself and for others.