MY BIG BROTHER

I WAS SO EXCITED TO HAVE THE HONOR OF LEARNING THE GAME OF BASEBALL FROM ONE OF THE GREATEST TEACHERS, MY BIG BROTHER. HE KNEW THE GAME AND I SIMPLY WAS A STUDENT. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO SPEND SUCH GREAT TIME WITH HIM AND HIS BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, MY NIECES. HE WAS A SUPERB SHORTSTOP PLAYER, AND HE ALSO WAS A WONDERFUL COACH. HE TAUGHT ME MANY, MANY THINGS ABOUT BASEBALL THOSE COUPLE OF SUMMERS; BUT HE TAUGHT ME SO MUCH MORE ABOUT MYSELF AND THE HERO OF A MAN THAT HE IS. I WAS TEN YEARS HIS JUNIOR GROWING UP; AND I'M SURE THAT THAT IN ITSELF COULDN'T HAVE BEEN EASY. I ALWAYS HAD ADMIRED HIM, AND HIS QUIET SOFT- SPOKEN WAY. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT ON A GROWNUP LEVEL WE HAD BECOME ACQUAINTED. HOWEVER, THOSE PRACTICES, GAMES, WINS, LOSSES, AND LAUGHTER WE ALL SHARED THAT SUMMER SOMEHOW MADE US A TEAM. I WAS SO PROUD OF HIM AND THE WAY THAT HE COULD TEACH THESE YOUNG GIRLS. HE INSPIRED COURAGE IN THEM, AND IN ME. HE MADE ME FEEL A PART OF SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL. I KNEW AT THE TIME THAT THOSE GAMES, PRACTICES, ETC. , WOULD BE SOME OF THE GREATEST TIMES OF MY LIFE. UP UNTIL YESTERDAY I DON'T THINK I REALIZED JUST HOW VERY MUCH IT IMPACTED MY LIFE. AS I WATCHED THOSE KIDS LOVE AND PLAY WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS A GAME THAT BROUGHT ME SO MUCH HAPPINESS AT A EARLIER TIME, I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE OF MY YOUNGER GUARDIAN ANGELS, MY BIG BROTHER. IT WAS A LONG ROAD BACK TO HAVE HIM BACK IN MY LIFE, AND IT HAS MADE THE JOURNEY WELL WORTH THE FIGHT, AND IT ALSO REAFFIRMS TO ME THAT I KNOW THAT I AM ONCE AGAIN ON THE RIGHT PATH..