The beloved morning show host of Chicago’s adult contemporary channel, 93.9MYfm, Kristina Kage gave her brother Alex a song for Valentine’s Day in order to send him all the love from their family as he leaves for the Air Force.
 

 
“We have a really tight family. Our brothers and sisters are spread out around the country, but we grew up together. My parents were married for like 40 years and they always took us on family vacations. I was the oldest of four kids, so my sister Katie and two brothers Mark and Alex. We’ve always been there for each other and we’re really supportive of one another,” Kristina told us.
 
“Alex has always been the really funny one in the family. He would do head spins and stuff that made everyone feel great at parties. He would always put a smile on everybody’s face. He would do crazy and wild things like young kids would do. Everyone just really enjoyed being around him.”
 
Energetic and youthful, Alex loves spending quality time outdoors in Portland, hiking, camping, biking and playing hockey with his two sons, Preston and Logan, Kristina told us. His sons are 3- and 5-years-old, fun ages for a father whose character is similarly so full of life.
 
“When he got married, he changed a little, and it was really hard for us to see it happen,” Kristina said. “After his divorce it was crazy how this weight was lifted and you could see his humor and personality come back. That was really exciting. Alex has always had a very magnetic personality, and I’m glad to see it finally poking back through.”
 
According to Kristina, Alex has battled several hurdles over the past few years, a difficult battle to watch for those who knew him as the indefatigably cheerful one of the family. Now, however, Alex’s vigor is returning with a recent decision to serve his country in the Air Force.
 
“He has always been interested in the Air Force,” said Kristina. “He kind of took after my dad.  We would always go to air shows and they would get excited about it. He would sit and watch Top Gun in his Batman underwear and aviator jacket, eating chips and salsa.. Then he’d fast-forward through the love scenes so he could get to the planes.”
 
Though without his Batman regalia, Alex will be in Pensacola, Florida for 7 months of Air Force training, the hardest part of which might be being apart from his family: Preston, Logan as well as his eternally supportive big sister, Kristina.
 
“I thought now would be a perfect time, since my brother is going away, to get a song for him that shows him that our family loves and cares about him and his well-being and we’re all very proud that he is going to Florida to serve our country.”
 
Kristina told us some of her favorite memories of growing up with Alex, including his antics at parties and his love for his two boys, which songwriter Jake Miles transformed into an anthemic feel-good song, “Wishing You Well.”
 
“Alex actually left soon when after he first heard the song. He had just finished driving up to Seattle with a friend, so they were just kind of hanging out and waiting at the airport. I sent it to them while they were there. I think, originally, I sent it to his friend and said, ‘Can you record him as he hears it?’”
 
“So he was reading the lyrics and listening and I think he didn’t want to, like, look like a bitch in front of his friend,” Kristina said with a laugh. “Then he called me after and he was he was like, ‘How. Did. You. Do. That!?’ He was all crying, so of course when a man cries, then I automatically cry.  Whenever anybody cries, especially a dude, I’m in tears, and when it’s your brother leaving for the air force, of course I was going to cry with him. Later he told me he listened to it like 60 times on the flight.”