“Mumma…This was the best day of my life.” These nine words
spoken by my six-year-old son, David, tonight bring tears to my eyes as I
reflect on what an incredible experience we had today. Thanks to the Detroit Tigers and Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Michigan, today became a memory my family will have for the rest
of our lives.
About a month ago, I came across an essay contest asking
children and their parents to take a pledge to be healthier. Together, David
and I wrote an essay and submitted it. You see, David is such a huge sports
fan. He can tell you the stats of countless players, all of the teams they have
played for, and even where they attended college. Instead of watching cartoons,
David has been watching Sports Center since he was about three years old. He
asks Siri the scores of games as soon as he wakes up in the morning. He turns
down the TV and pretends he is doing the play-by-play. Instead of asking for toys for Christmas and birthdays, he asks for sports memorabilia. He is so invested in his
teams and his players. So, when we received a call from the Detroit Tigers the
Saturday before Easter, I knew this was going to mean the world to him. Furthermore,
when he found out he was going to be representing first base, the excitement grew
even more.
Today, Sunday, April 19th, we gathered about 20
family members and friends and loaded up on a small party bus (Thanks, Midnight
Madness!), and headed to the game. The amount of people that gave up their day
to support David just further justifies how blessed we truly are. The day could
not have gone more perfectly.
While this may have seemed like such a small act to the Detroit
Tiger players and staff, I will never be able to thank them enough for granting
this opportunity to my son. Thank you Detroit Tigers for providing Kids’ Day
festivities. Thank you Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for sponsoring this
event and for encouraging healthy lifestyles. Thank you, Miguel Cabrera for
making a dream come true and for making David feel like he was the only person
in that stadium today! Thank you family and friends for all of your support,
not just today, but every day of our lives! Thank you all, from the bottom of
my heart, for giving David “the best day of his life”.
Here is our essay and our pledge to be healthier:
After asking my six-year-old son how we could live a healthy
lifestyle this summer, he quickly responded with, “Drink more water and play
baseball!” He then added, “Well, we could eat healthier too and do some
running.”
Our summers are definitely dedicated to baseball, swimming,
going for walks, and working in my parents’ garden to eventually can the
produce into various salsas and sauces. As a teacher, I am incredibly grateful
to be able to spend valuable time with my children over the summer break. We
make the most of every single moment. However, we have made it our pledge to do
an activity together every day of the year (not just the summer). Being healthy
is so much more than physical health. For us, being together and living in
every moment brings the mental health we all need.
Children grow up so quickly and many adults are left wishing
they had done more with their children when they were younger. I don’t want to
be the same way. I want to give my children
every experience I can. So, doing small things like going on a nature scavenger
hunt, baking a new recipe together, painting a picture, or going for a walk to
the library fill our daily lives.
We pledge to not only continue this “healthy” lifestyle this
summer, but to inspire others to find happiness through these activities. We
blog our activities together at www.workingmomwonders.blogspot.com
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