十二月的玫瑰
<p>《小飞侠彼得•潘》的作者巴里曾写道：“上帝给了我们记忆，所以我们在寒冷的十二月也有玫瑰。”一段段美好而难忘的记忆，就像一朵朵玫瑰，装点着我们心灵的花园。</p><p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="Herb">Herb</span> <span word="Appenzeller">Appenzeller</span>, <span word="Ed">Ed</span>.<span word="D">D</span>.</p><p><span word="Coaches">Coaches</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="hearts">hearts</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="heads">heads</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="decisions">decisions</span>. <span word="Unfortunately">Unfortunately</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="wasn">wasn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="realized">realized</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="baseball">baseball</span> <span word="conference">conference</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="scheduled">scheduled</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="seniors">seniors</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>, <span word="D">D</span>.<span word="C">C</span>. <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="annual">annual</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="field">field</span> <span word="trip">trip</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="team">team</span> <span word="dominated">dominated</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="seniors">seniors</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="conference">conference</span> <span word="race">race</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="place">place</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="couldn">couldn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="seniors">seniors</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rival">rival</span> <span word="coach">coach</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="reschedule">reschedule</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="everyone">everyone</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="available">available</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span>.</p><p>“<span word="No">No</span> <span word="way">way</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="replied">replied</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="seniors">seniors</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="crushed">crushed</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="offered">offered</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="skip">skip</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="much">much</span>-<span word="awaited">awaited</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="trip">trip</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="assured">assured</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="needed">needed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="trip">trip</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="educational">educational</span> <span word="experience">experience</span>, <span word="though">though</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="accept">accept</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="conference">conference</span> <span word="championship">championship</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="fateful">fateful</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="wished">wished</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="underclass">underclass</span> <span word="players">players</span> <span word="eager">eager</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="excited">excited</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="excited">excited</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="mentally">mentally</span> <span word="challenged">challenged</span> <span word="boy">boy</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="Billy">Billy</span>. <span word="Billy">Billy</span> <span word="was">was</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="believe">believe</span>, <span word="overage">overage</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="loved">loved</span> <span word="sports">sports</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="much">much</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="principal">principal</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="permission">permission</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="football">football</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="baseball">baseball</span> <span word="teams">teams</span>. <span word="Billy">Billy</span> <span word="lived">lived</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="breathed">breathed</span> <span word="sports">sports</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="happiness">happiness</span> <span word="captured">captured</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="imagination">imagination</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="substitute">substitute</span> <span word="players">players</span>. <span word="Billy">Billy</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="size">size</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="heart">heart</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="earned">earned</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="respect">respect</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="teammates">teammates</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="effort">effort</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="enthusiasm">enthusiasm</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="left">left</span>-<span word="handed">handed</span> <span word="hitter">hitter</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="baseball">baseball</span> <span word="skills">skills</span>. <span word="His">His</span> <span word="favorite">favorite</span> <span word="pastime">pastime</span>, <span word="except">except</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="practiced">practiced</span> <span word="sports">sports</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sit">sit</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="rural">rural</span> <span word="store">store</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="sports">sports</span>. <span word="On">On</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="loss">loss</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="Billy">Billy</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span>.</p>
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