Mamma Dies, Game Goes On

[Dr. Bob]

In 1984 my mother died of cancer. I took 3-4 trips from Dallas to Minneapolis in the last month and knew she would pass. But when the day came, I was still "crippled" emotionally. Drove the family and had a tough week.

Still hear "Abide with Me" and I tear up.

So I am befuddled about Roger "Rocket" Clemens, whose mom died Wednesday, and he went out and pitched the ballgame in his regular start. Evidently people handle grief differently, but that just seems bizzare to me.

Real life is a whole lot more than a baseball game imho.

 

[PatsFan]

I agree. I think I would have had trouble pitching if it were me. My older brother went to work the day after our mother's funeral in 1991. That puzzled me too.

 

[OCC]

He may have done it "for his mother". It may have been inspiration to go out and pitch the best he could. It's kinda like Brett Favre...his dad died, I believe, and that week he had one of (if not the best) games of his career.

 

[PatsFan]

Originally posted by King James:
He may have done it "for his mother". It may have been inspiration to go out and pitch the best he could. It's kinda like Brett Favre...his dad died, I believe, and that week he had one of (if not the best) games of his career.

I'll bet you're right. Parents can be such an inspiration to athletes sometimes. Brett Favre seemed to channel all his feelings into that amazing game he played.

 

[Mike McK]

I couldn't do it, but I won't tell somebody else how to grieve.

 

[Bro. James Reed]

My dad and I went to the lake the day his mother died.

It was a death that had been expected for several years, as she had Alzheimer's disease for more than a decade. It wasn't easy for him, but many people would rather fill up their time to get the death off of their mind than to just deal with it outright.

Now, me, I cried and mourned for a solid week after my dog died, so God only knows how I'll hold up when it comes to my parents.

Of course, I'm also not the kind to dwell on a death many years after the fact. My grief is usually very intense and direct.

I don't hold things in waiting for them to erupt later.

I don't know why Clemmens played the game, but we must each deal with our losses in the best we know how. This was, apparently, the way he felt was best to deal with it, and I can not fault him for that.

 

[just-want-peace]

One must keep in mind that the death of a Christian is NOT a "negative emotion" event.

Sure, they'll be missed by the loved ones remaining, but just think of where the "dead" are now!!

I've instructed my wife that, should I preceed her, that I want at MOST a simple graveside service, and if she wants to do more, to have a memorial service with scads of upbeat worship and praise songs.

'Cause I sure ain't gonna be weeping where I am then!!

Also for her to continue with life with a big smile on her face even while there are some tears in her eyes.