I received a wonderful gift this New Year and it’s been delivered in a way that only Life can. Our 19 year old, Sarah, came down with what turned out to be double pneumonia, and ended up in the hospital over New Year’s Eve. The Facebook posting of this news brought an immediate and touching response. Longtime friends and brand new friends wished Sarah a speedy recovery. Family members and my New Market Rebel family members posted responses, as did a fellow Valley League broadcaster. Former classmates and former students sent their best wishes. Heck, even one of my former teachers wished Sarah the best.

At Sarah’s urging, I attended the New Year’s Eve party for which we had made reservations, while Martha stayed with our ailing daughter. Many times during the evening I answered the question as to where Martha was. Our friends, our friends in the band, other band members, members of our dance club who were there, and even the desk clerk at the hotel all inquired about Sarah in subsequent conversations.

Generally, this blog is supposed to be about baseball, but sometimes Life interrupts our joyous pursuits and begins to pursue us. We’ve all wrestled with Life, but at the end of this particular match, Life extended a hand to help Sarah up off the mat. She was released from the hospital on New Year’s Day after a 48 hour stay, and she is feeling much better. And with the other hand, Life motioned to that divergent group of people, who in my mind’s eye, stand together with concern on their faces and care in their hearts. That group photo, now preserved in my internal album is a gift, indeed.

I don’t know what the thermometer says, but this has been the warmest New Year’s that I’ve ever experienced.