Keeping things in perspective

I have been a member of this site for several years, but I wanted to post this anonymously to protect the privacy of a player.

My son has had a disappointing season so far on his college baseball team, but has continued to work hard and keep a positive attitude. I learned tonight that one of his teammates is having a tougher time adjusting to some bumps in the road. A caring adult noticed that the other player was so depressed that there were signs he might do serious harm to himself. The player was brought to a doctor and is receiving appropriate care.

Then a few hours later I saw a feature news story on TV about a local HS player who was told last season that he might never play baseball again - because he needed a heart transplant. He got the transplant more quickly than expected, and the feature showed him playing his senior year of HS baseball. What did this young man say in the interview? How thankful he is to be able to play baseball again? No. He focused on how thankful he is to the young man who donated his heart, how he thinks of that young man and his family every day, and that he is dedicating himself to living a caring and meaningful life because of their unselfishness.

I just wanted to share this and suggest that we all as parents remember to keep this game in perspective, look for the positives in our sons' lives, and appreciate the special gifts they each have, whether it's a caring heart, a warm smile, or their baseball talent.