I am me- I am not my attachments, my possessions or the people in my life.

The above is a daily affirmation.  All too often people identify their worth by the totality of their material possessions.  This is an observation that truly saddens me.  Within the past few years I have come to realize that so many people focus on what they cannot have instead of being thankful for what they do have.  I, myself, have at times been caught up in this very paradox.
As technology grows greater and our species more developed, I wonder if we are in fact digressing.  We come from so much wealth, not in money but in life!  I look outside and wonder what my landscape may have looked like 100 years ago, what grass may have laid beneath me, what species may have stood beside me.
I am grateful to all those who have helped our planet advance in so many ways, yet I cannot help but ponder…what have we done?
In the world of baseball it’s critical to remind yourself that you are, at your very essence, a unique and perfect soul, separate of the possessions that you may or may not have and the people that you know.  This is a truth that you can identify with in the Minor Leagues as well as in the Major Leagues.
In the Majors you may be surrounded by people that live in multi-million dollar homes, drive cars worth more than 90% of Americans’ houses and wear enough money in clothes to feed a poor country.    These are all things that I firmly believe we have a right to have and I can’t say I’ll avoid buying them myself one day, but the key is realizing that they do not define you.   Just the same, in the Minor Leagues you can easily struggle with what you do not have.   From the shortage of a big paycheck, to the uncertainty of when you will have a house to call home or even the lack of reliable transportation.  What many people fail to realize is that there are many baseball players in the minors that live with very little.
No matter how you look at it, I find it to be of the upmost importance to stay grounded in your faith and know that regardless of your attachments, possessions or associations, you are very…very rich.   I know that David and I have definitely been better off financially, especially when I was working, but we are wealthier now than we have ever been.   We have each other, an abundance of love and a growing appreciation for the small things in life.
I read a very interesting Baseball Chapel devotional the other day that was called “Praising During the Tough Times.”  In this short devotional, the baseball wife who wrote it asked a very interesting question – “Have you ever considered trials as a privilege?”   I think most of us would agree that placing trials and privileges in the same sentence seems like a contradiction, but in reality her question makes absolute sense.  YES!  After this year I can very easily answer yes to that question.   It took a lot of crying and a lot of broken, and later mended hearts to realize what a blessing all of our trials have been.
I say it over and over again and I will never forget it, no matter where the road may take me.   I AM ME…I am not my attachments, my possessions or the people in my life.   I encourage you to believe the same.
Much love and blessings!