"This One's For You Mom..."

A lot can change in one day. Just ask Roger Clemens. Just a day ago his mother was alive and he was getting virtually no run support. And now...24 hours later...his mother passed away and he got 10 runs in earning his 12th win of the year. Clemens often expressed aloud his desire to have his mother front row center at his Hall Of Fame induction (if you think he is being a bit presumptious you obviously haven't seen him pitch...ever). Unfortunately this dream will never come to fruition. However, Clemens did what many of us would never dream of doing. He went to work only hours after his mother died. Not only did he suck it up and take the mound, he went out there and pitched what arguably has been his best game this season. I'm reminded of the day Brett Favre found out his father had died from a heart attack on December 21, 2003. No one would have blamed him for not starting that night's game. No one except Brett. He went out there and passed for a ridiculous 399 yards and flattened the Oakland Raiders (which, granted, wasn't hard to do that year since they were 4-12).

Too often we don't get to say good-bye to those we love...or family members...sometimes both. I still remember the day my grandpa died...Janurary 4, 1997. Only 72 years old, too. However, he smoked his whole life. I remember that afternoon I saw him outside smoking and thought, "I wonder if that's the last one he'll ever have." Guess it was. Sometimes I wonder if my kids are going to want to smoke one day and what I should tell them to get them to change their mind. I can tell them about how I was there when he took his last breath as he laid on the floor because he couldn't get anymore oxygen to his lungs. Or how I was literally on my way out when I heard my grandmother keep shouting his name as if something was wrong. No kidding, my hand was on the doorknob. If I had gone out and come home to all that I never would have forgiven myself. Ever. I was in such shock that I couldn't even go to the hospital with my grandmother. Instead I stayed home and let everyone know what had happened.

Eight years had passed before I got around to visiting his memorial at Laurelland, but I'm glad I did. Was nice to see him no longer in pain from the ailments that had plagued him most of his life. My wife and daughter were there with me which made it a kind of family outing. Emily (daughter) gave me an acorn that was lying on the ground and picked up one for herself and together we placed them on his stone. I didn't cry but that was as close as I have ever come. Sometimes I feel bad that I have never cried, but I don't worry too much about it. We'll all see him again one day.