Friday; April 3


          I am missing a couple of important things these days.  The first one is my sense of humor – there just doesn’t seem to be much levity these days.  The other one is baseball.  I have always enjoyed this time of year because it was the beginning of the baseball season when hope sprang eternal.  Well, rather than fuss about what I can’t change, I decided to try to help out by combining a little frivolity with baseball and who better to do that than Yogi Berra!  Berra wasn’t a bad ballplayer, but he was an even better character.  He was known for classic Yogisms such as, “Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.” and “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”  As I was reviewing some of Yogi’s gems I came across one that was more honest than humorous.  At one point he is credited as saying, “I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose.  Just don’t fight about it.  Just try to get better.”  For a guy who made his mark on the world with silliness, this is quite insightful!  While it is important to teach our children to do their best, we must make sure they keep winning and losing in the proper perspective.  Children need to learn to be gracious winners and honorable losers.
          As I pondered this, I got to thinking about how conflict and competition can be viewed as a positive thing as long as we don’t make it overly adversarial.  As long as we compete fairly, we can use it as a way to grow.  Interestingly, Yogi wasn’t the first one to grasp this concept.  The wise man, Solomon, noted, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17).   
          Let’s help each other become better.  Sometimes it can come through support and encouragement, other times through competition ... but, it must always be in friendship and brotherly love.
Think About It!

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