As their wings flap ceaselessly with their pearly, white feathers ruffling in the wind, the storks trek high above the open landscapes carrying bundles of joy wrapped in silky cloths. In the distance, husbands and wives await their arrival. As the loving couple silently prays for safe travels, their eyes glance upwards towards the sky. The sound of beating wings begins to echo in the hearts of the soon-to-be parents as the majestic bird nears its destination. At long last, the stork gracefully lands, bestowing a newborn child upon warm, open arms.
Over the summer and into these first weeks of school, the flock of storks made multiple deliveries, including some to the doorsteps of Jesuit’s very own faculty and staff. Mr. Chris Hill, head basketball coach; Assistant Principal Mr. Ben Kirby; Mr. Patrick Triplett, social studies teacher; Mr. Jeff Murdter, technology associate; Mr. Jonathan Short, football coach; and music teacher Mr. Zane Crownover all have new additions to their families. Likewise, some faculty members continue to wait patiently for the stork’s arrival. Mr. Chris Blackwell, senior college counselor; Mr. Matt Trost, computer science teacher; Mrs. Danielle Bianchi, community service coordinator; Mr. Joe Nava, mathematics teacher, and their respective families stand by, anticipating the miracle of new life.
About a month ago, Coach Hill became a father to his new baby girl, Adeline Virginia Hill. As a new father, one must accept a whole new set of responsibilities. One must tend to matters both at home and at the workplace. So far, Coach Hill has established a balance between both ‘worlds.’ He enjoys being both a father and loving husband to his family at home as well as an esteemed basketball coach. “I love being a father,” Hill says. “She is still figuring out who I am as she is still so new, but there is nothing like having the ability to make her stop crying, which is rare. Usually her Mom has to take over, but every once in a while she will respond to me and it makes my day every time.”
As a new relationship forms between parent and child, the relationship between husband and wife grows ever more deep. The love in marriage becomes stronger, forming a cradle of goodhearted, positive feelings that help to nurture the baby. Coach Hill describes marriage as a way in which the other can “help you live life as wonderfully as you can possibly live it.” And, what better way to live your own life than to make new life? “I am still in awe that there is a new human in my house, of the process as a whole,” he continued.
Likewise, Mr. Kirby and his wife welcomed their second child, Cora Kirby, into the world over the summer. Already a father with one child at home, Mr. Kirby has become an expert at being the perfect dad. He explains that as a father, he is “someone who can help guide and teach [his] child on really every different level from social things to intellectual things to harnessing their curiosity and being supportive.” Moreover, as a Christian father, Mr.Kirby reminds his children that “everything we do is for the greater glory of God.” He attempts to get them “excited about seeing Him in all things, whether in physical things or in experiences.”
Some people commonly say that home is where the heart is. In addition, home is where the family is. Family is a very important relationship shared among all people in the world. Mr. Kirby emphasizes that family is a “group of people who you can be open with on a different levels.” Within his family is an even deeper relationship, marriage.
Some may say that marriage is its own roller coaster in life, with sharp turns, high notes, low points, excitement and fear. Mr. Kirby explains what marriage is in his life. “Marriage is a friendship that you’ve committed to. It is very similar to any other friendship, but it’s unique in that you’ve chosen that person to be with you for your entire life. Like family, it is a lot of fun. It is tough though. There are always challenges. It is like raising a child in that you have to be able to look through the tough times to see God’s grace and is guiding you on a journey. I have been fortunate to be on this journey for almost eight years and it has been great.”
What should one expect when they’re expecting? So far, the Blackwell family is 20 weeks into the waiting game. They already have two children, (rather, heirs to the Chipotle Ambassador’s throne), their three-and-a-half year old son, Canon, and Felicity, their one-and-a-half year old daughter. Having had a boy and a girl, the Blackwell’s will wait until the birth to discover the gender of their baby to maintain the essence of surprise.
“I am pitching to my wife that whatever the date the baby is due, we will look at the calendar and see which Saint’s feast day it is and choose that for a name, if the newborn is a boy. For instance, I’m a fan of [the name] Polycarp, so you can call him Paul, or the name Cyril and call him Cy (pronounced Sigh) for short. I particularly like shortened down saint names. My wife and I also like Peter, and nicknaming a baby boy, Rocky. Girl names, on the other hand, are a different beast. I am still sticking with Saint names. I like the name Philomena, and go with Mena for short.”
Picking the perfect name can be a tough process. Similarly, becoming the perfect father is a process as well. “For the rest of your life, your life is no longer your own, that you are responsible for another human being. And that is HUGE!” Mr. Blackwell then notes that a Christian father goes along with the idea of being a father in general. “From the Christian perspective or not, fatherhood means that you raise your kids to behave acceptably in society, to treat others with the utmost respect and love. My job, then, as a father, is to communicate that love to my children so that they will communicate it, in turn, to others.” According to Mr. Blackwell, being a parent means that one must set the prime example for his or her children.
Mr. Blackwell also recognizes that he has become a better father because of his job at Jesuit. As one of the college counselors, the senior class looks to him for advice on how to succeed this year. “The care and formation of these young men [at Jesuit] has helped me to be more patient and it also gives me the element of discipline. Discipline helps to form that idea of right and wrong; it is not about punishment, but correcting.”
Whereas parenting is one job, marriage is another. “I believe that my marriage with my wife is the fulfillment of my vocation. Marriage, to me, is the fulfillment of the image of God. If man is made in the image and likeness of God, and a husband and wife are joined together as one, then that shows the ultimate element of love of two people. And yet from those two people, new life can be created, which is a third.” This three person group thus represents the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit embodies the idea of mutual self-giving and mutual love for another.
In addition, Mr. Trost and his wife are expecting their third child. However, in their case, their new baby will be a boy. As a parent of two children already, Mr. Trost has some experience in the field. “My wife and I work as partners to raise, love, and care for our children. We want to see them grow to reach their full potential and ultimately live a happy life.”
Soon, the Trosts will bring their family count to five people. Like individual people, each family is very different. “I do not believe there is a single nuclear family to which we should all aspire. [Family] has its own unique gifts and challenges. The key is that individuals in a family commit to one another and are bound by unconditional love,” said Mr. Trost. Family is the basis of all relationships. It is like a smaller version of society. Family teaches us the difference between right and wrong, prepping us for the transition into society.
The idea of bringing new life into the world can be both exciting and scary. “I am excited to watch my children grow, learn and experience new things, commented Mr. Trost, “but I also want to protect them from all the things that may cause pain. While, I want my children to learn from my successes and failures, I understand that an individual must experience success and failure in order to learn for him/herself.”
Relationships are one of the most important aspects of our everyday lives. Our peers, acquaintances, friends, family, marriage, parenthood, loved ones, and even our pets don’t even begin to cover all the relationships we encounter. They form the very basis of our existence. They may be difficult to describe and understand, but they are an important part of our well-being.
The Roundup would like to congratulate all the faculty members on the new additions to their families and to those families who await new life. We welcome all into the Jesuit community.
We welcome Adeline Hill, Cora Kirby, Ian Asher Crownover, Lorelyn John Murdter, Ellis Triplett and baby Short.
