Jews & Baseball & Cancer

This early Sunday morning we are off to Boca Raton, Florida. We includes Commuter Husband, Youngest Son and me, Mommy with Commuter Husband. Oldest Son is on his way as well but he is traveling with the Dallas Maccabi Team which includes Jewish athletes ages 13 to 16. Oldest Son is part of the 16U baseball team.

Shepherding our teenage son through his options for maintaining Jewish engagement is tricky. Trying out for this "Jewish Junior Olympics" team, practicing for the last few months and now headed to the Maccabi Games has been a wonderful experience for Oldest Son. We are thankful for finding this particular path.

Oldest Son has two game jerseys and the camouflage baseball one is just plain cool. The pink ribbon stands out in the "heart of Texas."

Oldest Son's coach (who is fantastic) asked each player to include the pink breast cancer ribbon on their jerseys. The boys are playing in honor of three players' mothers who have survived breast cancer. I happily ironed the symbol of hope on the two left sleeves.

I am thrilled that Oldest Son will play baseball, the game he loves, while representing his Jewishness AND honoring his mother who had breast cancer. Staying focused on our values and passions is so important; finding ways to act on them is the definition of a meaningful life.