Hello Kids,

I am so blessed to experience each of you and your perspectives as I practice my passion of being your doctor. I commonly ask each of you what you are good at and I almost always get a sports related answer (whether you are 4 or 14). I too love athletics and physical activity. Believe it or not, I played sports most of my life before I became a doctor. At one point in time, I held my highschools’ all time tackle record in football while I also played college baseball until I was injured, underwent surgery and then reinjured my shoulder.

My next common line of questioning pursues your perspective of your own, given personal gifts. What makes you special, unique or different? More often than not, kids are unaware, afraid or embarressed to reply. I know that each of you are young and learning about yourselves. As your doctor, I challenge each of you to appreciate the total of who you are.

One of the more important tasks, part or element of being a kid is learning who you are, what you are good at and challenged by, what makes you happy and how and what you want to do to favorably impact the world in which you live.

Please take big, strong and coordinated steps toward learning about the total of who you are while you appreciate the physical gifts your body allows to you experience.

Be strong (in mind, body and spirit),

Dr. Mark