Well, baseball has finally arrived and the snow is melting, hopefully for good. As the sun starts to peak, we are pointed in the right direction. Not just towards spring, but also the time of year that baseball, the game, players and fans cherish. Those palm trees, that Florida sun and that green grass calls us back to that love that burns within our hearts all winter long.

For many fans, the winter break after a grueling season could be seen as a God send. But for others, that new season can’t start soon enough. Now, some of you may be looking towards the fall, the World Series which, don’t get me wrong is a exciting part of the season. But remember it has to start somewhere, Spring Training. You see the players hit the field for the first time and you know it’s back. You hear the pop of that first pitch hit the glove, hopefully your team is in the field. And so it begins, because it’s more than just a starting point for veterans and rookies, it’s a sign of hope, hope for a new season, for a new year. Just like playing a video game or finding that illustrious reset button, everything is back to zero. Like “Playing ball and the ball would get stuck up in a tree and we’d yell Do over!” (Thanks for the City Slickers reference.) It doesn’t matter what team you cheer for, everyone still has a chance. There is always that hope, the same one you felt as a child with your life hinging on every pitch.

I know that’s how it is for me. I see sunny Florida, the crisp grass and those majestic palm trees, and I’m right back to when I first fell in love with the game. Now, it’s true everyone has a past, and mine has taught me an even greater appreciation for the game. When I was a kid, I suffered strokes, which restricted me from playing most sports, which for a kid is a pretty tough thing. Despite this, I am still a fan of the game and love to get involved. Watching games, talking baseball with my grampa or playing catch in the street with my friends, these memories I will never forget. However, I will be the first to admit that last year I fell away from the game and that’s something I deeply regret. But like all fans know, as soon as Spring training starts, we begin to realize what being a fan really means and fall right back in with the game.

So, people always say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what is ever said for the value of a memory. I guess that is up to each of us as individuals. But these memories are what spring training evokes in me, what does it do for you? You see, that is the greatest thing about baseball, it can always “Bring you back”.

So, with that being said, where do you find yourself today? Are you still playing ball, or maybe you’re at school, or at a hospital, or maybe even looking out that fiftieth floor office window. Wherever you are or whatever you are doing, my advice remains the same. Just like I did, find some time, sit down, click that remote and rediscover that love of the game you once knew so well. Because, it’s true that, as life and work leads you on different paths, some may tend to lose track of their childhood and the values they once had. And, anything that can give you that great feeling back is worth all the time and effort necessary.