Opening Day

Today as I backed out of the driveway and then drove down my street I saw, as I often do, a cluster of children ambling in their little-kid way along the sidewalk.  As is regularly the case there was a big sister or mother herding the group down the road.

We live across the street from an elementary school.  A parent taking kids to school from our neck of the woods would 99 times out of 100 walk right past our house as we live on a quiet street that parallels the main road where the school sits.  A policeman stands at the intersection at the end of the road and takes the kids from their big brothers and parents into the wonderful world of kindergarten, first, second, and third grades.  

Once I turn onto the main road this morning I spot a woman who is hustling.  She has some weight on her and is exercising big time.  Picking them up and putting them down, perspiring on this, hallelujah, warm day in New England.  The woman has a sweatband on her brow and some weights in each paw and appears determined to sweat off the suet.

Yesterday we attended the funeral of a colleague's spouse.  I had met the guy a number of times and liked him a lot.  The ceremony was as inspiring as any I could imagine.   While I knew this guy some, I had no idea of the range of his personality.  His sons, wife, friend, and co-worker spoke. Each with such inspiring words indicating how much this man had meant to so many others. In Judy's--his wife's--eulogy she said that when he proposed, Ken promised her an adventure.  And that she could say 45 years later, that he had not reneged.

The temple was packed with family and friends.   The ceremony made me think about primary criteria when we assess how we did in our precious life.  Did we make the most of it. Did we positively touch others. Did we have a positive effect on our universe.

Today is opening day in Boston. The Red Sox are playing the Washington Nationals in the annual first play-ball shout at Fenway Park.   The season starts anew.

I see the kids this morning. I watch the woman huffing and puffing.  And I think of the eulogies for Ken Berk--a class act if there ever was someone who could be so called.

Every day for us is opening day. An opportunity to change the course or revise the course of our lives so that we touch others, love those whom we love, have a positive effect on our universe, and make the most of our precious time.  Each of us has the opportunity to make our life an adventure.

Might be good to repeat this mantra when we feel we are not doing all that we can:

It's Opening Day. 

Play Ball.