This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.
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Okay. Hear that? That's what it sounds like when you plant more trees than you harvest. Work done by thousands of working forest professionals like Adam, a district forest manager who works to protect our forests from fires. Keeping the forest fire resistant is synonymous with keeping a forest healthy, and we do that through planting more than we harvest and mitigate those risks through active management.
It's a long-term commitment. Visit WorkingForestsInitiative.com to learn more. This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing.
If anyone has ever said you snored loudly or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability, and concentration issues, it may be due to OSA. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com. This information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company. Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points.
You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000. This is when mindset comes in.
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down. This It's Trainer Games. Watch it on Prime Video starting January 8th. Then the space hamster flew his hot air balloon all the way to the bottom of the ocean.
Where did that story come from? Book? Dream? Nope, it came from a conversation. Meet Miko Mini Plus, the AI companion that co-creates personalized story adventures with your child in real time.
What color was the hamster's cape? And what did he pack for lunch? Unlock your child's imagination. Discover Miko Mini Plus and the magic of AI exclusively at Costco. Uh This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories.
And today We hear from Jeff Katz. He's a radio host in Richmond, Virginia. And he's also a columnist. But the Boston Herald. And here he shares his deeply personal story.
about his daughter Julia. who has what doctors call Global developmental delays, and disabilities. And all that means is that she functions physically and mentally. At the level of a toddler. Here's Jeff reading a note that he wrote.
to his daughter. Dear Julia. Mm-hmm. I'm writing you this note on March the 7th, 2018. Uh Today is the day that you turn 15 years old.
It's an interesting day for me and for mom. But it's another day for you. You're not like other kids, my sweet. You've never made a big deal of your birthday. You've never asked us for any type of a special gift.
Not for your birthday, not for Hanukkah, not for Christmas. You've treated each and every day in the same way. Mom will wake you up, and you'll have a smile on your face when you see her. She'll play some of your music and you'll smile even more. You may laugh or giggle or squeal, but there will not be any words.
You won't complain about having to go to school. You won't be happy to hear that it is a snow day. You won't celebrate the fact that today is 15 years since you were born. Most 15-year-old girls would be thinking about clothing, college, or a car. By 15, many dads have already had to warn their daughters about some dopey boy.
But today, You'll watch your favorite episode of Jack's Pig Music Show, enjoy your cereal, and be on the lookout for cookies wherever you can find them. Mom and I know that you will be with us as long as we're alive. But we worry about what happens after we're gone. You have two wonderful brothers, and I pray every day that we have raised them well enough to know that they will need to look after you some day. You may be our middle child.
But you'll always be the baby. Even as you get older according to the calendar, As mom told me yesterday, you are timeless. Uh You'll always be my pip squeak. despite the fact that the years are flying by. No, we're not exploring potential careers or making plans for your wedding.
We're still hoping that we'll be able to help you move from diapers to the potty someday. You live today the same way you did when you were about 18 months old. You don't speak. and you only recognize a few words, but oh, the words that you know kisses and cookies. No matter how filled up you are, there's always room for a cookie or two.
You don't understand when I ask you how your day was, but you become laser beam focused when you hear the crinkle of the wrapper on a package of something sweet. No matter how sweet that candy, it's not. It's still eclipsed by your genuinely sweet smile. Yeah.
So many people live their lives asking for things, demanding things, accumulating things. Most people never take the time to stop and savor a piece of cake or breathe deeply to appreciate a gentle breeze like you do. I hear people in this world use horrible, insulting language to describe kids like you, and I want to shake them and yell at them.
Some mock disabled kiddos like you and I feel like crying. You don't understand their words, but I do.
Sometimes I really wish I did not. We never thought you would crawl, let alone walk, but you showed us. Your situation and challenges and disabilities have caused me to question my belief in God on some days. and have served to strengthen it on others. You don't speak, but somehow you are able to brighten my days in ways that I never imagined.
without a single solitary word. You've made me a better man and touched countless people. Hearing you cry ties my stomach into knots, but your giggle is truly the happiest sound that I have ever heard. Um I know you'll never read this, nor would you understand this if I were to read it to you.
So let me just say. Kisses and cookies, Jules Pagoules. I tell you today what I have told you on every March the 7th since 2003. Daddy loves you more than you will ever know. And thank you for that reading, Jeff.
You've made me a better man, he wrote. Your giggle. is the happiest sound I've ever heard. On Julia's unexpectedly learning how to walk, Jeff told the Boston Herald that, quote, It was one of the proudest days of my life. One of the happiest days of my life.
But I also have to tell you It's a terrifying situation because Julia's like a toddler. She has no real understanding of Oh, the stove is hot or I could fall here or trip there. We're thrilled that she's trying to explore on her own a little bit. and were terrified at the same time. and this is true for all of us parents.
but even more so for Jeff. and his bride. Jeff has said that it's tough to realize. that he'll never get to embarrass Julia. by dancing with her at her wedding.
But quote She's the best thing. that's ever happened to me. End quote. Last but not least, he said these words. Boat.
She's never spoken a word. He's never said a word to anybody. But she's touched more people in her 15 years on this earth than I ever have. Her joy is pure. To me, She's like the face of God.
Is the essence of good? And she shares her joy. with everybody. Jeff Katz's story. His daughter Julius, Here on our American stories.
Lee Habib here, and I'd like to encourage you to subscribe to Our American Stories on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get our podcasts. Any story you missed or want to hear again can be found there daily. Again, Please subscribe to the Our American Stories podcast anywhere you get your podcasts. It helps us keep these great American stories coming. 10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points.
You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000. This is when mindset comes in.
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down. This is Trainer Games. Watch it on Prime Video starting January 8th. Yeah.
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That's W-I-I-M-S-O-U-N-D. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Mm-hmm.
