It is not often that you hear something on the news that makes you want to scream out “ YES! YES!! YESSSS!!!!”

But that is EXACTLY what happened to me on the way to work this morning.

Just heard on the radio....In the 40th round selection of the baseball draft, the HOUSTON ASTROS chose paralyzed Buddy Lamothe and thereby to tell what kind of team they are, and how much they believe in and want to support Buddy Lamothe.

Buddy had attended San Jacinto College and had an ERA of 0.86.  Baseball.  He loved it.  He was good at it.   And then he had a swimming accident in early May and is now paralyzed from the waist down.  Buddy has started physical therapy and rehab.  He wants to play again.  “He’s really looking forward to creating an environment to give him the strength and help him get back to pitching,” San Jacinto College coach Tom Arrington said. 

Arrington expressed his delight that the Astros had such confidence  in Lamothe.   “Right away I thought, here’s a business-minded meeting where you’re drafting players to promote your team, and the Houston Astros step aside from that and do a thing for a young man that shows them that they have a lot of faith in him coming back, and it was something that was very sincere on their part,” he said.

Will Buddy ever play? Will he even ever walk?  I don’t know.  You don’t know.  Only an omniscient person could say for sure.  But one thing I DO know. I KNOW that THIS is a wonderful thing.  I know that Buddy matters.  I KNOW that Buddy’s LIFE matters.  Buddy’s  DREAMS  matter.  And, both Buddy AND his dreams matter to the Astros management. 

I will probably never meet Buddy.  But, if now I yell extra loud for the Astros, and if now I don’t even notice if my favorite, favorite FAVORITE team loses,  then what I am REALLY saying is

“GOD BLESS YOU, BUDDY!  MAY YOU BE LIFTED UP ON THE WINGS OF ANGELS TO FULFILL EVERY DREAM YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE." We are on your team!

And thank you, and God bless you, Astros, for doing some of that heavy lifting - for Buddy, and for us.