Life 02

This is not about sports not about anything other than pure Joy.
I am going to make a short story long because I can and it is needed.. Just to give you some background information my oldest son is an amazing kid that just so happens to have difficulty doing a lot of "normal" things but nothing ever dampers his spirit or his love of life(DD)..
DD has always loved playing sports and has always persuaded my wife and I to sign him up for sports even when we think it wouldn't be in his best interest. (This is my opinion and I am completely wrong on this but I always try to put my kids in situations where they can succeed and that will give them self confidence).. Well throughout those rules when you have a kid that can rise above the situation and he can determine what is "successful" and what give him self confidence.. DD has really been practicing for baseball this whole spring he is constantly asking me to pitch to him in the lawn and I can never refuse my kids when they want to play any sport. Well his improvement this year has been amazing he is able to hit a large percentage of balls pitched to him when it is just our family at home.. So he was really excited when baseball began.. In fact he was so excited about playing that he talked his good friend into playing with him even though he not played much Tball or baseball..

Well the season started and DD has not missed a practice or a game or his own practices in our front yard with or without his parents help.. DD was fortunate enough to have a coach that really understands what baseball at this age is all about.. Wow this is really getting too long but what the heck… Well DD has a had a Rondell White like stretch where he has struggled to make contact at all when he is pitched to in a game situation. But what makes this kids amazing (despite his poor parenting) is that when he strikes out for the third,fourth or fifth time in the game he gets a little frustrated right at the plate but before he can turn and face his team and his "home crowd". He smiles and hand his helmet to the next kid and give his teammates a high five.. So each at bat as the season progresses the people that come to the game keep cheering for DD louder and louder with nothing but positive comments and he always returns the cheers with his million dollar smile..

So Cut to last night
It is a beautiful night for baseball or just living life. DD is so happy that his Grandpa and Grandma are at the game that he can hardly contain his happiness while playing.. So on his second at bat he makes contact and fouls the ball off pretty good.. Before taking the next pitch he stops and wheels around to flash his smile that he had HIT the ball which in itself makes it worth the 2 hours we sit watching these practices and games night after night.. Well he strikes out but he feels great about making contact.. Well on his next at bat he makes contact Twice and we are rewarded with the same smile each time. Well he now has one pitch left to hit it in play and the crowd senses that DD might just be able to hit it so they begin to cheer louder than ever for him..( I am ready to pass out with worry for him and happiness for him at the same time) Well all his practice pays off when the next pitch his thrown mighty DD at the bat makes contact with the pitch and the ball is in play.. Well if the crowd could they would have collectively picked up DD and ran with him to first but they didn't need to he was determined to make it there himself.

Safe
He was safe at first having beat out the throw from the third basemen.. Well with two outs everyone was excited to have DD at first but also it was a close game and they needed his run to score. So each time one of DD's teammates hit the ball the crowd and team would ROAR run DD run and run he did.. He was safe at second he was safe at third.. And now he was next to the crowd and his team and they where screaming for him to score.. When the ball was hit I could do was yell SLIDE he really didn't need to but there is nothing better than sliding home.. Well DD was running as soon as the ball was hit I don't know if it was my excitement or what but all I could see was Teeth and Dust as he ran toward home and laid down a perfect (perfect in so many ways) slide.. DD was safe at HOME

JOY
The whole team rushed out to great him and pat him on the helmet and give him high fives returning all of his high fives that he has been giving all year round.. DD relished all the cheers and high fives and ran to see his family.. I thought I had done some pretty cool stuff in my sports career but nothing could hold a candle to what DD did this night. He gave everybody a reason to cheer not for winning or losing but for the joy of living life.. DD's coach came by shortly after DD and looked at me and DD's family and said what everybody was feeling.. That is why we are out here.. I thanked him as I choked up and tried not to take anything away from this moment that was DD's.. I said yes but really this was not about sports this was about one "not normal" flat out amazing kid..

Have a great 4th
Heavy OUT..