Day Five Hundred and Sixteen

The Best News

If you would, go back and read:

Day 371

If you know my family a little bit better, you'll understand the depth of this news a little bit better too! (I hope!)

Three months ago, my dad passed away. It was difficult. Very difficult. And things only got harder when my youngest sister found out she was pregnant...two days before he died...and only a month after the family had finally been reunited. It seemed like everything was falling apart. Life changed so radically in just a few days. But when my baby sister made the most beautiful and brave decision to keep her baby, pure joy showered the Mays family. In one of the darkest months of our lives, a light was shining bright. We may have lost our daddy, but in his death, we saw life. My dad didn't know about the little bundle in Morgan's tummy. The day he died, she was supposed to cook dinner for him. At dinner, her plans were to tell him all about the baby. But she never got the chance - he passed away that morning. It devastated her completely. She was torn to pieces over his passing - as we all were - but especially her. Morgan finally had her daddy back, and too soon, he was taken from her. Again. But then yesterday happened...and I cried like a child when I found out.

IT'S A BOY!

OH MY WORD, IT'S A BOY!

 Praise God! Praise the Lord! That's all I could do when I found out. I just praised Him...and thanked Him...and cried and cried...and then cried some more. It's just so beautiful. And so perfect. My nephew already holds a very deep spot in my heart. He's an answered prayer in so many different ways and I can't wait to meet him. A true blessing to this family. His birthday is set for June 27th. Four days after my Dad's birthday.

Morgan, you are wonderful. And so brave. I'm infinitely proud of you and I know your son will be too. Without a doubt, you'll make one incredible mother and forever, you'll share a bond with your sweet boy unlike any other. Dad will always be with you, Morgan. In your heart. But I truly believe, that a piece of Dad will squeeze back when you hold that baby's hand for the very first time. I love you, Morgan. You are a blessing to so many. And never forget that though he might not have showed it well, Dad always loved you.

Exhale! I'm crying again!

The joys of yesterday just kept on giving. Adam was invited (by the rehab-coordinator of the Marlins) to speak at a large elementary school in the area about the importance of school, hard work, and overcoming adversity. Among the population of students, 80% of them were Spanish-speaking, and to help communicate the message, Jose Ceballos "Cebi," another player, spoke to the children in Spanish. 

Adam was honored and humbled by his experiences yesterday. This school is located in a lower income neighborhood of West Palm Beach and he was especially touched by the excitement and sincerity these sweet children expressed about his job. They asked a lot of questions, and to one he answered, "When I was your age, I was told that I could never be a professional baseball player. They said it was against the odds. And I wasn't as good as everyone else. But I didn't listen to them. I used their words as motivation and worked as hard as I could. And now, 13 years later, I'm a professional baseball player. If you work hard for your goals - really really hard - you can achieve them, just like I did. Even if they tell you it's impossible."