I love baseball. It is truly one of my passions in life. Becoming a Major League Baseball player was my number one dream job. However, many are called and few are chosen. Trust me, I was called but I was not chosen. I have carried that passion with me all my life as a fan and this season was one of the most memorable of all time. The Toronto Blue Jays had a chance to win the World Series for the first time in 32 years. They finished last in their division last year and no one could have imagined they could win it all this year, but something magical happened. Everything clicked. Call it what you want. Fate, karma, luck, the planets being n alignment are all possible reasons for the team’s success. They were two outs away from winning the World Series title, but it was not to be. The Los Angeles Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the ninth and then went on to win it all in extra innings. Forty million Canadians had their hearts broken, including mine. The game ended after midnight, and you do not go to bed after that. You need to unwind. I had a couple of glasses on wine to calm my nerves and to think about what I just saw.
It gave me time for personal reflection, and I came to the following conclusions. All the yelling, crying, screaming, swearing cannot and will not change the outcome. The woulda, coulda, shoulda game is futile. The Dodgers won. I thought about life in a bigger picture. Only worry about what you can control. Can you control the World Series outcome? No, of course not. Then let go and let God.
I then started thinking about life in general. There is a saying I have never forgotten. Imagine how happy you would be if you lost everything you have and then you got it all back the same day. You would be ecstatic. Then I started making a list of all the things in life I have that I am truly grateful for. I live in a great country. I have my health. I have a great wife and kids. I have been blessed with grandkids. How many people want what I have?
Whether you live in Canada or the United States, we are the envy of the world. There are a lot more people trying to get into our countries then those trying to get out. We have the necessities of life. We have food, clothing, and shelter. We can pursue our passions and live life to the fullest. Most of us are not suffering from a debilitating disease like cancer. Do you think someone having to undergo chemo treatments would trade that for a World Series loss? In a heartbeat. My wife has stuck with me for 39 years and it is amazing that she will stick with me for 39 more regardless of who wins the World Series. I raised two healthy kids. There are many couples that cannot even conceive that would gladly trade a World Series ring for a son or daughter. My kids finished college; they don’t have drug issues, and they now have families of their own.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series. Congratulations go out to them. A special thank you to the Toronto Blue Jays for an incredibly successful season. They surpassed expectations by winning their division, beating the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners in the playoffs to make it to the finals. They brought an incredible amount of joy to me the last few weeks. They may have had a heartbreaking loss, but in the game of life, I have already won.