Blog me some peanuts and cracker jacks...

While searching for a true hobby of my own, I’m borrowing a friend’s for the time being. Oh the things I am learning about Major League Baseball. I’m surprised at how much I am enjoying this.

B - Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap while playing.
A – (The) American League was formed in 1901. There were 8
original teams. I now have them memorized.
S – St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles in 1950.
E – Each base is 90 feet away from the other.
B – Baseball umpires were seated in padded chairs behind home plate prior to 1859.
A – A’s, The Oakland A’s have a White Elephant as their mascot.
L – Lifespan of an average baseball is eight days. A baseball is used only once in one MLB game.
L- Love for the game, this is still an American passion!


"One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something."
-Nolan Ryan, Hall of Fame Pitcher

Reflections

I’ve never spent more hours staring into a mirror than I have in the last 32 hours. My reflection has seen me. Have you ever seen Alice in Wonderland? Well, we are going to follow the white rabbit and see where we end up.

Let me paint you a picture. Eight inches of snow has fallen beautifully on the vast country side of North Nebraska. The 4 appointments scheduled for Monday and Tuesday have been cancelled due to the storm that has passed through. I made my way to Alco to buy a few necessities; Gatorade, Tylenol and a snack, only after spending over an hour digging my car out of the parking lot. Except for my exciting journey today, I found myself in my hotel room early Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning. I found myself sipping coffee and apple cider. I found myself wrapping my mind around a mystery book I bought at Barnes and Noble last week for $3.00. I found myself adjusting my laptop on the desk in the room, with a mirror behind it. And in between phone calls, chats with dear friends and reevaluating who Daneen really was, I found my reflection in that mirror.

In my reflection I found a variety of things; a bed to rest my weary mind, a chair that offered a superficial kind of support for such a blistery cold day, a lamp to provide light, my cell phone – my lifeline (sitting on the night stand), some commercial art on the wall that some artist made money off of (knowing full well my friend Rachel Olive-Byerly could have done with her eyes closed), but most intriguing, I found two eyes staring back at me just as intently as I was staring at them.

I kept looking into those eyes. You could sense they had a story to tell. They were deep brown and seemed to go forever; a hint of sadness, a glimmer of contentment, a cave of unanswered questions and a cornucopia of hope. In these eyes I found a story of a girl who was daily striving for answers. These eyes were full of life and excitement, but seemed to be bottle up as if they couldn’t escape. You could see the mascara and the eye liner that provided a social acceptance from society. But I kept looking; I kept searching further into the brown abyss. I finally found myself surrounded by a room of mirrors. I saw my reflection over and over again.

Have you ever been in front of a mirror and behind one at the same time? If you ever wished there were more of you, this was certainly the answer. There was a million of me! I saw 1 million Daneen’s who succeeded in musical talent, 1 million Daneen’s who loved her family and friends, 1 million Daneen’s who sought to encourage, love and support those closest to her, 1 million Daneen’s that wore her heart on her sleeve and would fight for something she believed in and 1 million Daneen’s that was taking a step forward, constantly seeking answers. With the gifts, I also saw 1 million broken hearts, 1 million unanswered questions and 1 million insecurities. Those fears almost overcame the positive reflections I saw.

Quickly my curiosity and excitement turned to worry and fear. Look at all these imperfections! I was suddenly swarmed with questions; Will you ever get married? Will you stay in Omaha forever? What are you going to change in 2011? Are you sure this was a good decision? What does your boss think of you? What does your best friend really not tell you? What will your community think? Are you accepted by the world? My mind was racing. I was turning from one mirror to the next, and back to yet a different mirror. I had to escape. But, I couldn’t find a way out. I was surrounded. My breath started becoming short, I was in panic. The echoes of the mirrors were hauntingly getting louder and louder.

Finally a sound of thunder filled the room, a burst of light shattered all the mirrors and I shielded my face. As I began to peak through my fingers, in amazement I saw every mirror had disappeared except for one. Just one mirror. One.

I was suddenly filled with peace. The peace I found was defining. I stood there staring at the mirror, staring right back at those same brown eyes that got me in this mess in the first place. Like the soft smell of lavender does in the early spring, I slowly came across upon my ‘ah-ha’ moment. What we see in a mirror is a direct portal to our heart. Who we are, who we trust and what we believe will be our reflection. I have been “fearfully and wonderfully made” (ps.139). I have been “created in the image of” (gen.1) greatness.

I saw my reflection. I believe in love. I believe hope. I believe in the development of others. I believe in kindness. I believe in hugs and holding hands. I believe in taking walks with my best friend at 10pm at a lake in the middle of town. I believe in salvation through the cross. I believe in fighting for something we want. I believe in waiting. I believe in humbleness and quiet hours of solitude. But what I needed to see the most, I found. I found me. For the first time, I saw my reflection and my reflection saw me. I believe in me and who I have been created to be.

As quickly as I stumbled upon the room of mirrors, I found myself falling back into reality. Suddenly I found myself back in my hotel room. The heater kicked in, the decaf coffee just clicked letting me know it’s ready to drink. The clock has moved 33 minutes past when I started and I look up and I see the mirror. The same mirror as before. A reflection. I smile a little thinking how my mother will react to this post. I grab my phone, to see if I’ve missed anything. And as I get up, close my laptop and walk away from the desk I challenge you with one thing: truly seek your reflection. Find who you really are. If you don’t like what you see, find time to do some soul searching. Find love. Find hope. Find yourself.