This photo is one of my absolute favorites of my dad and me. It was taken years ago by my friend Shelby when she was just getting started in photography. We were outside our family store when my dad happened to walk up, and she captured this completely candid moment-just the two of us laughing together. The brick of the store behind us, his bright yellow shirt, our shared smiles... it's such a perfect snapshot of him and a moment I'll always hold onto. Shelby, thank you for your creative eye and for giving me this memory-I treasure it more than you know.
This year marks 20 years since we lost my dad to a massive heart attack. He was just 54. He passed while out on a run on a Sunday morning-something we had started doing together about 10 years earlier when I was in high school. Running has always connected me back to him, and it's something I've leaned into again.
In his honor, I'm continuing my work with the American Heart Association and now chairing the Omaha board. I'm also fundraising for the Heart Walk and helping promote tools like PulsePoint that can truly save lives in those critical moments.
If this story resonates with you, I'd love your support-whether that's donating, walking with me, or simply taking a moment to learn CPR or download PulsePoint.
His life-and the way he lived it-continues to guide me every day.