As we look to the coming year, 2020, we peek over our shoulders at 2019 and the significance of a series of events. Dave and I received this email today, and honestly, it choked us up to the point where tears were rolling down our faces. We couldn’t summarize these words any better. As I have in the past, I felt the need to share this letter we received from a close friend. It is long, but I encourage you to forge forward and read it to the end. By the way, Kleenex are needed.

“IF” you’re anything like me

On this day, the last day of the 2010’s (I’m getting old, it happened quickly too), I felt compelled to write down some of the things that meant the most to me in this decade. I thought about some of the things that I learned from and will try to take with me as I continue to try to improve daily for the following year.  I owe that back, and then some.

I thought about starting a teaching career, the next gen gym, countless 5-9 year olds who changed my life. I love those kids and could never forget them if I tried. I thought about Pleasant Ridge Elementary School and how incredible my teaching family was in bringing me along as an educator. How they impacted me daily and the journey to becoming their friend. I will always, always try to make them proud. I thought about my family, my friends and how lucky I am to be surrounded by incredible people in my life. 

I think about #45 and what he meant to me. How 8-8-12 changed our lives. How he had my back, how he loved everyone and challenged us to do the same. How losing him was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through and how wearing his number on my back brings him closer to me in my every day life. Man, I miss that dude. He was the best. Love you Boyer man.

I think about countless summer mornings in the weight room with dedicated young people. How relationships are built in that room, incredible really. I will always be so proud of those kids. 

I think about a 2014 state championship run in football, falling one game short, a 2016 run to the finals in Baseball and what an incredible game that was. We were so close. Then in 2017 culminating all the great players and people in our program with the ultimate prize, a State Championship, incredible. Our coaching staff talks about it often, they were a team for the ages, we would give anything to go back and go through that again. What a blast to be with those kids, they loved each other and wouldn’t accept anything less than a championship. They have it for life. Congrats boys you deserve it and I’ll always be in your corner.

I thought about countless other things. I remembered a special trip to Omaha for my dad and for our family, how incredible that run was, thank you Michigan baseball. It’s amazing how a game can rally a group of people, a general theme here. I thought about my sister bringing two family members into the world, succeeding in her career like no bodies business and having the best parts of life challenge me and accept me all at the same time. It’s true what they say, a lot can happen in a decade.

What’s funny is, when you finally sit down to think about it all and the rush of emotions that come back to you. How you remember the littlest of things that happened along your time during 10 years of life. How something little like the poem by Rudyard Kipling and how much it’s helped me. The poem is titled “if”. He writes beautifully to his son about what life may bring him and how to handle situations. It’s a poem my dad gave me and lead me towards as I went through my struggles and how to handle yourself in all situations regardless of the outcome. 

He writes

“If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue

Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch”

These words spoke to me, I mean really spoke to me. They taught me that whatever happens in life, good, bad or in-different that the most important things are to surround yourself with great people, be humble, appreciative and kind. More simply, to never lose the common touch. To laugh, cry and be a part of something that is more than yourself is the most important thing in each day. 

He continues…

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings

and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the WILL which says to them: Hold on!”

WOW! I mean, goosebumps right?! IF those words don’t hit you I don’t know what will. I had those words hanging in my room in college and they have been a sense of pride for me ever since and I often refer to them as we all have moments in our life when we need a jumpstart. 

As I sit here today, the last day of 2019, heck the decade. I read those words and can’t help but think about #teamtags. I have to think about what a decade it’s been learning from coaches, players, students and everyone in my life.  To be honest though, there is no man I’ve learned more from than Coach Tags. I’m sure there are hundreds if not thousands more who would join me in that thought and it’s an inspiration to be a part of his team.

If you’re anything like me, tag man and his lessons are always in the back of your mind.

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings”, and risk it on one turn of pitch and toss…. A state championship? An ultimate achievement and a culmination of so many days of wins by our players, tag man, coach t and our community with supporting our guys in 2017, incredible. Hearing him flip balls down in the cage…. “BALL GAME! CHEESE AND CRACKERS THAT WAS THE BEST SWING OF YOUR LIFE! THAT BALL WAS SMOKED!” Goosebumps. Memories forever.

“And lose, and start again at your beginnings, and never breathe a word about your loss.” A loss in the state championship in 2016? A dreaded disease returning, to be rocked to your core but to never mention the loss. To just keep going, to keep grinding and being positive with every single moment, to show the world how to fight and never ever breathe those words of loss. Incredible. Goosebumps. The stuff of heroes.

“And so hold on, when there is nothing in you except the WILL which says to them, Hold On!” Sure, when there’s nothing left, HOLD ON! Hold on to family, to friends, to a game, to inspirations like Tag man. I mean, he’s a stinking inspiration, he just keeps holding on and taking us all on the journey with him. I have often thought about him and all of #teamtags as we hold on together. For Tag man, for moose, for Ryan and Amy, Brendan and Amy, Susan, Easton, Everett and Emilee and every player, student and member of the Sontag crew. We hold on. 

How positivity, grace, grit and baseball analogies will get your through the day. Finally and hopefully this last part makes sense. What this man has done is unbelievable but all assuming at the same time. 

If you’re like me, you’ve never wavered. Tag man will win, he just will. It’s what he does and it’s who he and moose are. I know I’ve enamored you with quotes for the better part of this, but here’s one more… “If you never give up, you’ll never know how to.” Tag man has never, ever given up and he never will. He’s a stinking inspiration to us all.

So is moose and the entire Sontag family and if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the majority of the last two years reading Moose’s blog. You’ve read her beautiful words about strength, leadership, encouragement and how her family has endured immense physical and mental struggle. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been inspired by how the Sontags look at it all, how they endure the levity of the situation, stand in the face of hardship and look back at it with a smile as if to say, “bring it on…. What else do you have to throw at us?” As she’s said, it’s 2 strikes, we’re down to our last out and that’s our favorite place in the world. That’s where we do our best work (God I love that). 

You’ve also read more specifically about Coach Tags, his love for baseball and all of the analogies used to get our inspiration (Coach Tag) through this incredible journey. You’ve watched as he does his med ball and band work in the hospital and walks circles around the healthy people in that place. You’ve continued to read about after every set back and somehow this man has inspired us all by continuing to get back up and says, “bring it on, I’m ready for more.” 

If you’re anything like me, you’ve gotten chills hearing the support. Standing in the dugout during team tags day, seeing the responses for the team tags shirt, the unbelievable support this man has received, I mean it’s been surreal to say the least. To me, it’s amazing how a game, education and being a good person can bring communities and groups of individuals together to hear about the greater good. To send levels of support when one is in need and to rally for a man who has always rallied for us.

Again, if you’re anything like me, this man is so important in your life. He is about everything that is good in this world and everything that all of us would like to be some day.  He thinks about things differently than most do, he’s selfless, has a huge heart and leads by example in everything he does. When you think about the #28 it is synonymous with one individual and equal to no other man. He stands alone in his unparalleled successes and what he has done for others.

If you’re anything like me, this man is my hero.

Here’s to a healthy decade Tag man, you deserve it. We love you buddy.

Joe Welton

#TeamTags

It goes without saying that this is the time of year when we give more than ever. Whether it is giving your time, giving money to charitable organizations or simply giving a hug to one in need; we are compelled to give.

I was informed today that a blood drive has been organized by Chelsea Johnson and is being held at Jefferson High School this Friday. Please consider giving your time and blood for a worthy cause. Consider it an early Christmas gift. Dave, alone, has received 40-50 pints of blood in the last 21 months. Without donations, that would have not been possible. It is the most precious gift that one could give another – the gift of life.

Please sign up using the following link. Thank you so much.

https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/m/donor/schedules/available_drive_slots/126572/1576800000/1

Who needs you to make another person feel special today? If you are like me this morning, I’m just sitting here sipping a cup of coffee, and I have no idea who may enter my life today. I don’t know who I will encounter who will provide an opportunity for me to make him or her feel special.

Of course my wonderful husband is sitting here sipping coffee with me, too. For years, it has been a morning ritual that Dave would bring me my coffee with cream. It was such a sweet gesture and always made me feel loved. That 36-year tradition fell to the wayside almost two years ago when cancer took over his life. It’s not that I cannot make my own cup of coffee, but the reality is, it became evident that even simple tasks were difficult for him. It took energy that he just did not have. It is amazing how this disease can change one’s life in so many ways.

A few weeks ago, this all changed. I woke up to a steaming cup of coffee made just the way I like it. As one can imagine, it felt like my old Dave was coming back. He’s making and bringing me my cup of coffee every morning now. This special gesture is a small sign that he is starting to feel more like himself.

Although regaining the strength he lost is taking longer than Dave expected, he is back to taking hikes in the woods, back to doing resistant band work and back to lifting weights. His quick weight gain of 30 pounds last month has tapered off now, but his eating habits are resembling the old Dave as well. He’s enjoying second helpings and requesting certain recipes to help him gain the last 20 pounds needed to reach his goal weight. That, my friends, is huge. And as I’ve said before, if I could give him 20 of my pounds, it would be the highlight of my “giving” season.

We have entered the special time of year when giving and receiving seem to come to the forefront. I feel compelled to make every day special for someone, just like Dave does for me. Something as simple as bringing me a cup of coffee does not go unnoticed. It’s special.

So moving forward, I am going to make a concerted effort to do just that. I will look for a time and place to make someone feel important. It will be a special addition to each and every day – not just for this time of year but for every day.

Update: This was sent to me after my original posting in response to the blog. I thought it apropos to share it. “Lord, open my eyes to see evidence of your glory everywhere I turn. Put faith in my heart to step out, to be a necessary miracle in someone’s life today.”