I am not articulate or smart enough to figure out why my mother was always my role model but I can tell you she was and is… though we disagree a lot. But that’s not my spin on this theme. I want to think about the future. And who my sons will hold as heroes in their hearts. No doubt, they’ll look up to dad. My husband is a pretty good role model: he has a very balanced life. Though he plays Magic with the nerds, he’s also a huge sports fan. Though he works on computers for a living, he’s also a huge runner. He believes in moderation for all things and he believes in himself. He can accomplish anything if he puts his mind to it, as cheesy as that sounds. I know it’s true because even though I consider myself a runner, I want to quit all the time. I always play a game with myself where I reason that I can just turn around and not even reach my mileage. For him, that’s not even an option. And it’s why he continues to be successful. But he also knows how to treat people and though he can sometimes be a huge asshole, he knows when people need help or a kind word.

The other day he was giving life advice to a very young friend of his who is about to have a baby. On Monday, a woman at the playground came running towards us screaming that her son’s leg was caught in her minivan’s door. Ash was the first to run over there and extract the screaming boy. Hero. I know my boys will see him this way and know how to grow into men. And really, that’s what role models should teach them.