Seems like only yesterday
When I was a kid
I must have been 5 or 6
When my dad got me a glove
Placed a baseball in my hand
And we had our first real catch
And even though I couldn’t catch the ball
Or even throw it
My dad had the patience to teach me
Running after my errant throws
And tirelessly training me
How to catch the ball without dropping it
It was this point I started loving sports
And it didn’t matter what sport we played
We played them all
And made a game out of all of them
From basketball, baseball and tennis
To Frisbee and badminton
We even set up a badminton court
In the back yard
Marked the corners
Set up the flood lights
And got nice rackets and birdies
We played late into the summer nights
It was always fun and competitive
And my dad was the toughest competition
I’ve ever faced
He was so skilled athletically
He played baseball in an over 30 league
When he was in his late 50’s
And still dominated
He never let up
And made me earn everything growing up
I remember pitching in little league
When he was umpiring
I was throwing perfect strikes
Painting the corners
Ball
Another perfect pitch, ball
He didn’t want to give me anything
He wanted me to earn it
And this taught me valuable life lessons
Work hard for everything you have
Give 150% all the time
Be dedicated and focused
And always push your limits
Even when life doesn’t go how you expect
Get back at it
And rise up to the challenge
Because your determination and will
Can overcome any obstacle
I used those lessons throughout my life
Hard work and a strong work ethic
Helped build my career
And I was blessed with a beautiful wife
And an amazing son
Unfortunately as I got older
I spent less time visiting my parents
Or even calling them
But we still enjoyed holiday get togethers
A few years back I remember our last catch
He was 75 at the time
And at the beginning stages
Of alzeimers
We both grabbed some gloves
And an old baseball
Weathered from time and use
We went to the local park
And tossed it around for awhile
But having that catch
Meant the world to me
It highlighted my dad’s greatness
And how gifted he was
And how he inspired me
It also made me reflect
Reflect on my memories
Memories of my parents
The values they taught me
The patience they had
And how they did everything
For my sister and I
Memories that are forever etched into my life
But here’s the catch
Time is not infinite
We take it for granted
Cherish every moment
Life will always have obstacles
There will always be an excuse
Why we didn’t experience something new
Or spend time
With our families and friends
Or why we can’t accomplish something
But we can
We can do anything
We set our minds to
But we need to prioritize
Whats important
What means the most to us
Because when loved ones pass
The only time we have left with them
Exists only in our memories
So enjoy the warmth of every sunrise
Cherish every minute
And love every moment
You experience
With the loved ones in your life
Because that’s all that truly matters
RIP JMM 12/25/25
The greatest warrior and mentor I have ever known
Love you dad
Fantastic!
Thank you..appreciate it
Beautifully penned, Mstrmnd. Such a heartfelt tribute to your dad my friend. Excellent storytelling as well. Appreciate you.
Damian
Thank you for responding..I appreciate you for taking the time to read and comment
Reading this I can feel how much he means to you. As a parent you want to make sure you are doing the right thing and of course we have the memories of the children growing up. But we forget we are the child as well. We have past memories further back of being raised. Hmm this is making me feel more than I thought. Very good writing.
Thank you..and yes he means the world to me..but Ive taken time and the cycle of life for granted..wish I had more time..thanks for commenting
Oh. The buildup in this. All the details and building blocks of growing up. Cherishing our memories and time.
Time is the most reliable thing. It is ever present and we tend to push it aside. Put visits off or do a check in occasionally.
I completely relate to this.
My mom is 75 and doesn’t get around like she used to. This year i did all the cooking and she still felt the need to
to be bossy! Even when we were at the grocery store! Hahaha. It’s a mother/daughter thing! Her gift to me is humor. It was always in our household.
And love, I can feel this in your write. Even the admiration and respect you had for each other.
This got me a little teary eyed at the end.
God bless
Thank you for your comments..yeah my mom is 75 as well..older people in general have unique personalities..for sure..I try to sometimes picture life through lenses and think they feel life moves way too fast in general..and the speed everyone moves around them..but in their mind they are still young but their physical body tells a different story..I was humored yesterday..Im driving my mom around to handle stuff for my dad’s funeral..I have gps in my car..no matter how many times I said I dont need directions my mom would be like so we are gonna turn right up here or we could go up a little further..it was funny and (slightly maddening) but looking at things through her lens she never had gps or technology to assist with things growing up..and as she would say they did just fine without it..it’s good to have family and share their love and laugh at the moments that are special..thanks again for sharing your cooking and grocery shopping mom story