A Light in the Darkness

My childhood was tough. My mom died when I was nine years old. My stepdad walked out on my siblings and me the day of her funeral. After that, I spent almost two years in foster care. When I think back on those days now, I have to search through the darkness to find bright spots.

One of them was when I was 11 years old. My dad and I shared an afternoon I’ll never forget. It was sunny and warm, typical weather for Southern California and perfect for a baseball game. In those years, I rarely saw my dad. He was pretty checked out and spent most of his money on alcohol and horses. But on this day, he took me to Dodger stadium for a game against the Cincinnati Reds. Not only was it my first major league game, but I got a baseball autographed by future hall-of-famers like Johnny Bench, Steve Garvey, Pete Rose and others. Most importantly, my dad and I spent the whole afternoon together. It was a double-header, no less.

At the end of the day, I went back to my troubled life, but for a little while, everything was as it should be. Those moments etched themselves into my soul and became even more precious to me a few years later when, sadly, my dad died from alcohol abuse – homeless and alone.

When life gets tough, good memories are often a light that cuts through the darkness to give us hope and keep us moving forward. That day with dad at Dodger Stadium certainly did that for me. What about you? What memories lift your spirits and carry you through tough times?