Fear Not

When Hut was at the Spring-Ford game last night before I got there, he was asking someone who was working the game where the bathroom was, so he was prepared if Eli had to go during the game. This was what he typically would do at other schools that we have not been to before, so it was no different than another other night.

No different until he noticed a man looking at him and Eli. The man asked Hut if he was with Eli, and while he wondered why he was asking this, he answered that he was his dad.

A man who had no affiliation with either school came to the game last night for one reason, and he went on to explain to Hut why he traveled almost two hours to see the Spring-Ford game, that really had nothing to do with the game.

This past Saturday, the Rams played State College in Mechanicsburg. It was a packed gym and we could never be sure if the gentleman was from the area just watching a good game of basketball, or there to root on State College.

One thing we are sure of, is that when the National Anthem played and our boys went to go lift Eli up so he could stand for our flag, it affected him so much that he drove to another Spring-Ford game JUST to see them do it again.

Those were his words to Hut and as Hut tried to keep a dry eye, it was apparent that we truly have no idea just how powerful certain moments in life can be.

Our time with the Rams basketball team is over for the year but the memories will last a lifetime.

These young men might never understand the ripple effect that their kindness has made on so many but we hope they know that the impact of their choices to make Eli feel included go way beyond the game of basketball.

They brought a man to a game that he had no affiliation with just by lifting Eli up during moments when he struggled to do so on his own.

We rise by lifting others, and that’s exactly what this team has done. 💙💛

~ by Rebecca on March 22, 2023.

Posted in Along the way, Diagnosed, Life after diagnosis, living
Tags: acceptance, basketball, changes, coaches, day by day, eli and ella, Eli and Ellas Prayer Warriors, Eliandellasprayerwarriors, Enjoythemoment, family, feel good, gene therapy, God, gratitude, Hero, hope, inclusion, inspiring, inspirstional, journey, joy, learning, Love, memories, metachromatic leukodystrophy, MLD, more than basketball, my four warriors, never give up, Rams, special needs, spring ford rams, spring-ford, strength, warriors