Curveballs....

This blog will be brief (I hope).

Life is all about curve balls.   We start with T-Ball.  "This is a cinch.".. 

We then move to 'machine pitch'.  Every pitch takes the same, exact same, path. "Can deal with that, successfully."

On to coach pitch.  The coach that is your/our/my coach.  He/she WANTS us to be successful, thus, pitches are grooved.  "It's easy peasy."

Then life moves to Clayton Kershaw mode.  If by chance you don't know who Clayton Kershaw is, he's one of the most successful pitchers, ever.  Why?  The main reason, his pitch comes at you, and it's straight, on a line, just like machine pitch, just like coach pitch (albeit at 90+ miles per hour.) Then, in a literal millisecond, it dips, drops, turns, and you're left to readjust your swing, which is funny haha, and trying to hit it is like a tractor trailer driver attempting to stop on a dime.  it just ain't gonna happen.  When he signed his contract with the Dodgers a three years ago, I did some math.  For the length of his contract, every time he blinks his eyes, he will earn $86. That equates to a pretty damn good curveball.

Teammates = friends, loved ones. Curve balls = real life.

We all sit on the bench of life and watch our 'teammates.' At the end of the season, stats are posted, and right there in black and white you have a list, and every player on the list is ranked, in order, by 'success', ie, batting average.

It would be simple to sit back, look at the list, say "Oh, there's a success.. oops, not that one.. another one doing well..  ahhh, not sure this one is ever gonna be a .250 hitter."

Not the case in life. Unlike batting average, the success rate (or lack thereof) cannot be posted. The .187 hitter in actuality may have just had an even more admirable season than the .303 hitter.

He/she went through sore arms, legs, back, shoulder, strawberries, pulled hammies, broken fingers, thumbs, et al.  That's all certainly possible, and all well and good in listing the things we think of as far as 'dealing with the curve ball' in baseball.  It takes a greater look inside though, when it comes to overcoming life struggles,

We''ve watched, IN AWE, our life's teammates deal with, overcome much.  You name it, we've all got teammates that DAILY deal with personal loss, physical affliction, emotional/mental demons, much. We have friends who admit to basically vomiting as they look in the mirror. And we KNOW we have teammates who wouldn't begin to tell you that be the case, but we can know with certainty, it is the case. To this day, we still get shocked several times a year when someone relates to us a struggle they are going through. It literally tears us up.

THEN, we watch them soar. We watch them be 'regular'.  We watch them smile when we know damn well their innards don't match that.

We all know someone who has trouble with basics.  Basics like not answering the door. The phone.  The text.  The email. Oft times, we have no idea the reasons why. For some, having a full sink of dishes, or a basket full of dirty laundry, even maybe getting dressed for the day can feel like it is just as debilitating as loss of limb, or hearing, or eyesight. (Note, OH BABY, we have some teammates who deal with that too, loss of limb, hearing, eyesight, and MAN OH MAN are we proud of your 'can do' approach in life's batter's box!)

This post is to say I/we are proud of you each and every time you step in the batter's box, even if, this time, you might miss a third strike. We know you'll come back to the batter's box. To the teammates who we are mutually aware of a specific struggle, we are so dang proud of your every step into the batter's box.  Of your every morning getting out of bed against that internal want, not to. We cruddy men can be cruel. Take a wonderful golf shot, for instance. "Nice shot" is oft times followed by "Don't let it go to your head." In this case, in your case, LET IT go to your head. Celebrate victory, even though it may seem small, even moreso.

Known teammates who struggle, THAT doesn't include an it's for certain longer list of those whose struggles we're unaware of.  Please continue to never give up, ever. When it gets the darkest, stop for a sec.  Know, there's a set of bleachers right behind you -JUST when you think no one is there.  We are. Cheering.  Loving.  You.

Continue to celebrate victories, no matter how small they may seem to you. We know they are for real,  humongous.

Curve balls are a bitch.  Life can be a bitch. Know we cry right along with you. Also know, please continue to not stop in believing in yourself. We're here to tell you we're proud of you, and amazed by you.  You know who you are, so smile, right now.  Yes, aware that can be hard, but we have seen you do it time, and time again. You got this. Again. May sound hard, but in reality, it's as easy as 'just be you', it's a good thing.

Know, there is not a single one of us who hasn't struggled with a curve ball. You ain't alone. Live, love, laugh.................. Godspeed

Victor