Sacrifice

Sacrifice - what does that word mean to you? I think of giving up or going without something that means a lot to me or gives me pleasure. We all have experienced sacrifice but I heard of an example this week that was very inspirational. A college girl's softball game on a lovely spring day takes an unusual turn. After hitting an over the fence home run, Sara, from Western Oregon realizes she missed tagging first base and makes a quick turn to tag the bag. As she does, she tears her ACL and drops to the ground in horrible pain. The coaches and ump realize if she cannot run and they use a pinch runner, it's ruled a two run single. (There was a runner at second and third base.) If her teammates even touch her, she will be ruled out. Mallory, the first baseman for the opposing team, Central Washington, asks the ump if she can help her. Of course he was shocked by the question but stated there was no rule against it. So....the first baseman and shortstop proceed to pick her up and carry her around the bases and carefully help her tag each bag with her good leg and carry her to home plate. By helping this injured girl, the opposing team gave the others enough runs that they lost the game. Now that is a sacrifice that you don't see happen too often in our competitive world. The parents of those girls should be so proud. It really should be a "normal" reaction but the world is what it is - selfish on most ends.

In the big scheme of things, this isn't huge but what if more people behaved this way? BTW ~ Mallory won the player of the year award!