For Love of the Game

I feel bad for people who have never had a sports experience in their life. Its hard to believe that there are even people out there who haven't. Some people even go as far as to make the excuse that sports are too violent and that they are too competitive. I really feel for these people.

I recently went through one of the toughest experiences of my life, a bone marrow transplant. To be honest the toughest part wasn't the chemo, or the throwing up, or the not eating for a week. The toughest part was being on the Pediatric Floor and having to see the 20-30 children under the age of 10 going through the same stuff that i went through. It just didn't seem right that somebody so innocent had to suffer. It quickly occurred to me that these kids were some of the strongest people i would ever meet in my life, and I found that out through sports.

I was out on my daily walk toward the end of my stay at the hospital, and i decided that i was going to go into the kids playroom with my niece and let her play around so i could spend some time out of my room. About 5 minutes after we got there a little Hispanic boy came in, in his little spider man pajamas. My heart immediately sank and i felt so bad for the little boy. After a few minutes the boy made his way over to the air hockey table, begging his grandfather to turn it on. From the first time he struck the puck, the biggest most adorable smile came over his face. I sat watching, amazed at how something so little as a puck sliding across a white table could make this boy who was going through hell so happy.

About a half hour later another group of boys came into the play area. It was easy to spot that none of them were patients but as the area is open to family members as well it was no big deal. They grabbed a soccer ball and began to kick it around the play room. The game quickly escalated into a pretty competitive but fun game of soccer. Everybody was laughing and having a great time. It was about that time, that the grandfather of the little air hockey boy informed our family that the boys were relatives of a 17 year-old girl who had lost her battle to Leukemia earlier that day. Once again I was amazed that something as simple as a little black and white ball could bring joy to people that had just lost something so close to them.

As I stood there kicking the ball with the boys, the little air hockey boy and my family, I began to realize that sports are one of the greatest escapes there is in this world. I never realized it before, but every time I was at a major league ballpark, or watching a football game on TV, that i was escaping something. I was escaping just everyday life. That's why sports are so great. They take you away from burdens whether they are health related, school related, work related. Whatever problem you may have, next time just sit down and take in a game. Spend three hours worrying about nothing but the action unfolding before you. You may find it more helpful than anything else.