January 14, 2026
He did it! For almost five months, Jake was living in a small studio apartment by himself. In addition to attending classes four days each week, he taught himself to navigate the public transportation system. He attended a Syracuse University football game, a couple Syracuse Mets (minor league baseball) games and a Syracuse Crunch (minor league hockey) game. He went to the mall in Syracuse eleventy billion times, and he even attended the opening day festivities for IKEA. He visited all the Catholic churches near him, as well as the cathedral and a basilica. And he found a trade he loves. He really enjoys being a barber! I’m incredibly proud of him for successfully completing school and learning a trade, but I think I’m even more proud of him for stepping outside his comfort zone and trying to grow and learn. Also, it boggles my mind that God put Jake on a path that led him to a trade he loves essentially through our love of football. As part of our effort to see all 30 NFL stadiums, we visited New York City/New Jersey for the last week of the NFL regular season in early 2024. While there, I thought it would be fun for Jake to experience a city barbershop. Jake got an amazing haircut and his first straight razor shave in a barber shop at the periphery of the garment district of Manhattan. He loved the cut and experience, but he also saw that barber making a decent amount of money every 15-20 minutes. His interest in barbering was born. If you had asked me in the days immediately following that trip, I would’ve told you it was the worst football trip we’ve ever taken. It was very, very cold, and a lot of fans were behaving badly at the game. But God took that “worst football trip” and made it one of the most impactful. It just took me a while to realize He did it. |
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