Lessons Learned

A journey began six years ago when a caring and committed mom registered her little boy for kindergarten. By first grade, Tasha became ill with a pituitary gland disorder requiring a very risky surgery. Her only worry was her boy. A principal only has one thing to say at a time like this, “Tasha, I promise when your son is at school we will take care of him and do whatever we can to support you and your family.” Words I have said hundreds of times. Tragedy fell upon this young family. The high risk nature of Tasha’s surgery caused a stroke with lead to a comma and evidently to Tasha being called home to be with the Lord. Xavier, her second grade son, was now without his mother and the principal had a promise to keep. Xavier’s teachers are the main reason for his success. Carefully selecting his teachers every year was the first step in keeping my promise. He would need teachers who care first and teach second. His teachers held his tender heart in their hands. His former teachers...

Richard and Dad Opening Day 2011   Baseball is a time machine.  You walk in to the ballpark gate and you recall the first day you went to a game holding your Dad’s hand and eating cracker jacks.   I close my eyes and still can hear when my son was a toddler standing on the Home Run Porch and simply saying “wow” as he looked over the rail seeing Jacobs Field for the first time.  There is something special about baseball. The time machine takes me back to a lazy Saturday afternoon watching a televised baseball game with my Uncle Ray.  He was a simple man who liked baseball.   I can see him saying the rosary prayers as we watched the Yankees clobber the Indians.  I smile as I hear him yell, “that Reggie Jackson is a Son of a…” before my saintly Aunt Virginia would yell “Raymond.” He would smile and say “Ricky, that Reggie Jackson is a “Son of Beehive.” I fondly recall as a kid my family driving up to Cleveland  to cat...