A Reunion 30 Years In The Making!
Every month I ask readers to pause and tell me something good. This week, I don’t need to look far because something good found me.
On Monday, during our Tub Club Golf Tournament, I was surprised with a reunion that I never thought would happen. It involved Leann Evans, her parents Dave and Mary Ann, and a memory from my days as the original Phillie Phanatic.
Decades ago, when Leann was just a toddler, I had the joy of pulling her onto the Phillies dugout to dance with the Big Green Guy. That dance was repeated at many games, each one filled with laughter, music, and joy. In fact, one of those moments was captured on a Donruss baseball card, a memory frozen forever in cardboard and ink.
Life, as it often does, moved on. I lost touch with Leann and her family. But joy has a way of circling back. With help from the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware, Leann and her parents showed up at the Tub Club on Monday to surprise me. When I saw her, now an adult, standing there with her mom and dad, it was as if time folded back on itself. The joy we once shared on top of that dugout came rushing back to me.
It wasn’t just nostalgia, it was a powerful reminder of how moments of kindness and fun ripple forward, shaping lives long after the spotlight fades. That’s the gift of reliving joy. We don’t just remember, we experience it all again. The textures, melodies, aromas, sounds and images. And in that feeling, we gain perspective. We’re reminded to be grateful for what we’ve been given and inspired by the strength of others who face life’s challenges with grace and courage.
Leann’s joy, her parents’ kindness, and the generosity of those who made this reunion possible have filled my heart. It’s my “Something Good” not just for this week, but for a long time to come.
The Phanatic was built to create fun for others, but on Monday I was the one lifted up. That moment reminded me why I do this work: because joy, gratitude, and kindness save us. They strengthen us when life gets hard.
So I’ll ask you again…what’s your Something Good this week? Pause, relive it, and let it fill you with the perspective and gratitude you need. Because joy, once planted, always finds a way to bloom again.
