I get deep in thought while doing random things. This time, I was walking around with Beau, trying to keep him from crying.

My dad is cleaning out my brother’s old room at our house, and we used to share a closet. He had everything pulled out, and we were going through it. While digging through, I found a Jason Giambi jersey, and it got me thinking.

I remember exactly when I got it.

My buddy Brad and I would play baseball in the yard and pretend we played for the Yankees. I wanted a Derek Jeter jersey more than anything. I sent my parents on a mission to find one.

They couldn’t find it.

But they did find a Jason Giambi jersey.

They brought it home, and I was fired up to open it. I ripped it open, turned it around, and saw number 25. I remember thinking, I don’t even know who that is.

But my dad didn’t miss a beat.

He pivoted right there in that moment. He started telling me how great Jason Giambi was, what kind of player he was, and why I should be excited about it.

And just like that, everything changed.

From that moment on, I was proud of that jersey. It gave me a new favorite player. Anytime he was up to bat, my dad and I were flipping through channels trying to find the game.

Looking back now, that stuck with me.

It showed me how important perspective is, especially as a parent. Things are not always going to go the way you planned, but how you respond in that moment matters. You can let it be a disappointment, or you can flip it into something positive.

That moment could have gone a completely different way. Instead, it turned into a memory I still think about today.

Now I think about that as a dad. There are going to be moments where things don’t go the way Beau wants or the way I planned.

In those moments, I get a choice. I can let it be a disappointment, or I can flip it into something positive for him.

I am so thankful my parents always found a way to turn negatives into positives. Looking back, those moments became some of my best memories.

When you get older, you really start to appreciate your parents and everything they did. Being a parent yourself makes you realize they were figuring it out for the first time, too, just like we are.

I am going to finish this one with something a little fun, because I have been pretty serious the last couple of weeks. I had a lot of awesome jerseys growing up that my dad and I would pick out together, and some that family members sent me.

So, I am going to list a few of them, and hopefully, it makes you think about some of your favorite jerseys growing up.

Jason Giambi, Yankees – white pinstripes. I was not a Yankees fan, but I was a huge Giambi fan.

Michael Jordan, Wizards – my Aunt Morgan got this for me. I used to wear it while playing Nerf ball in the foyer.

Steve Francis, Rockets – I got this at TJ Maxx with my mom and wore it to basketball camp every day for a whole summer.

Jeremy Shockey, Giants – my dad and I picked this one out at Foot Locker in the mall.

Michael Vick, Falcons – my Aunt Jodi sent this to me for my ninth birthday.

Ryan Howard, Phillies – I had a World Series patch Ryan Howard jersey.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6