Saying Goodbye

Today I learned of the death of one of my former softball coaches. Howard had been battling cancer for sometime and his passing was not a shock. Since I had learned that he was in his final days of life, I often thought of the many laughs and lessons he gave us girls. Howard was the assistant coach of our traveling softball team, one of the player's step-dad, and friend to all of us. He was a towering man that could have easily frightened anyone with his sheer size, but it was his gentle soul that we all admired so much. He was our biggest cheerleader on the team, especially as first base coach. My favorite catch-phrase of his came when runners were on base and he would shout to the batter "ducks on the pond!" That meant you better make them swim home. Even opposing teams fell in love with Howard and his captivating personality. How could you ignore the biggest man in the ball park when he was standing right in front of your dugout? I can't remember a time when even in our grimmest of performances that he wasn't constantly uplifting and looking for the positives. He truly knew how to lift us up and get us back in the game. Lessons like that go beyond the diamond. That's a true gift. Thanks for sharing that with us, Howard. I'm gonna miss you big guy! My next rise-ball is for you.