Tuesday; January 17

It is with great joy that I report that pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in less than a month. After years of COVID uncertainty and labor disputes it feels good to finally say that!

There are a couple reasons I like Spring Training. First, because I spent so many years in cold climates watching ball players gathering in Florida and Arizona give me hope that winter wouldn’t last forever. The pictures of freshly mown green grass provide a wonderful contrast to the continuous white of months and months of snow. Yet, maybe the best thing about Spring Training was the perpetual hope that THIS will be the year. I have followed some pretty bad franchises throughout the years, but each February brings about the possibilities of what could happen. From now until the first week of April each club is at the top of their division and they all have an equal opportunity to be playing in October. I have even convinced myself that some teams with mediocre talent just might pull it off this year. Needless to say, Spring Training is a big time of year for me – and after missing the joy surrounding it the last few years, I am excited about it once again.

What brings joy to your life? Is there something that gets you excited about what the future holds? If so, are you spending time thinking about it? Are you taking the time to be able to relax and relish the moments the positive experiences bring? We have enough headaches and heartaches – let’s make the effort to engage in the things that make us smile – even if they are as superficial as a ballgame.

Think About It!

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