I spent a bit of time this morning flipping through pictures from the last week and found this one of Bones and Belly.  One thing that hits me is the lengths to which Mr. Coop goes to ensure that he is doing exactly what his brother is doing!  I can recall a time when I was older and my sister’s younger friends would hang out with me.  I was cognizant of my responsibility as a role model and tried to act accordingly.  What is Coop doing in this picture?  We asked both of the boys to smile for the camera and Coop just wanted to make sure that Ryan was also smiling because otherwise he’d be guilty of being “uncool.”

Being a role model is a tremendous responsibility.  It’s one that most professional athletes can’t fathom and yet, for Mr. Ryan, he’s thrust into that role at a very young age by a simple chronological circumstance.  It’s a tough role, no doubt, but one that I know he’ll handle… with a little help from his Mom.  I, of course, am not qualified.