Access Blogs
Fathers & Sons & Baseball & Nothing To Do With Entertainment News
By Matt Smith, Access staffer
This has absolutely nothing to do with entertainment news whatsoever.
It has nothing to do with Lindsay Lohan. It's not about Britney Spears. Nor is it the latest on Chris Brown & Rihanna. Instead, it's a little something about life and death and love.
There are a lot of heavy hearts out there today. Particularly in the world of baseball, where a 22-year-old kid lost his life.
Last night, Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people were killed early Thursday morning in a hit and run accident when a minivan ran a red light, striking the car they were traveling in. According to the police, the driver of the minivan was driving on a suspended license, under the influence of alcohol, and had a prior drunk driving conviction. Senseless and tragic; words so often used that I wonder if they begin to lose meaning.
Just hours before his death, Nick Adenhart's father, who had just flown in from Baltimore, was watching his son pitch his heart out in what would be only his fourth and last start ever in the major leagues. His father watched him pitch six scoreless innings, striking out 5, only to get the no decision as the A's scored six runs in the final two innings. It is all so heartbreakingly tender.
Fathers & sons. I guess I can't help but think about the lyrics from John Lennon's 'Beautiful Boy', a song that he ultimately had written for his son Sean, and in turn giving us the famous line 'LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU WHILE YOU'RE BUSY MAKING OTHER PLANS'.
Tell your kids that you love them. If you're a son or a daughter, call your mom and dad right now and tell them that you love them. Let the people you love know they are loved. Life is precious.
Close your eyes
Have no fear
The monsters gone
He's on the run and your daddy's here
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Everyday in every way
It's getting better and better
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Out on the ocean sailing away
I can hardly wait
To see you come of age
But I guess well both just have to be patient
cause it's a long way to go
A hard row to hoe
Yes it's a long way to go
But in the meantime
Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Everyday in every way
It's getting better and better
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Darling, darling, darling
Darling sean
This is a beautiful piece of prose, so meaningful. Midway through reading it, I actually cried, and not just because I am a lifelong Angels fan.
Matt has a way with words and a big heart to match.
Your parents love you, Matt. And so do I! You are special.