-Like any young boy growing up I had favorite professional athletes like Mike Modano and Dan Marino but they were not my idol nor were they my hero.
My idol and hero was in the bedroom right next to mine and sat next to me at the dinner table. From the time I was very little I wanted to be just like Joey and I paid a price for that.
I would wear his clothes that were too big for me and like any big brother he would beat me up.
I even had the courage to wear his shoes that were also too big for me and if you know Joey’s love for shoes then you know how lucky I am to be speaking here today.
I learned a lot of life lessons just by watching Joey play sports. The lesson he taught me made me the person I am today: To never complain, never give up, play through pain and when you fall you better get right back up.
I have watched Joey play with broken bones, I have seen him fly into soccer goal post; get stitched up on the sideline and come back in the game.
At a young age I saw him in a hospital bed fighting Cystic Fibrosis and how the struggles he endured just made him stronger. They made me stronger too.
I also learned everything I know about dating from watching Joey…which is why at 28 years old I am still single.
But truly Joey was protecting me from pain of a broken heart. Because the pain of a broken heart makes you weak. It is not a sport so a big goal or winning a championship game cannot cure that pain. So Joey showed me how to use excuses to avoid relationships and that way we could eliminate the chances of a broken heart.
This all changed when Joey meant Addie. The first thing he told me about Addie was not what kind of shoes she wore but that she liked to go fishing. He was shocked that a beautiful girl like Addie fished.
And personally, I like her name. When I was little I got the nickname Addy and I think it’s great to have another Addie Iding around.
So special thanks to Joey who finally took a chance on love again and special thanks to Addie who has been a blessing to us all.
Please raise your glass to toast the new Addie Iding and my first hero, Joey Iding. We wish you good fishing, good shoes, health, happiness and blessings…always.