Captain's Chronicles: When Life is Truly on the Line

My Grandpa with my Niece

Anybody that follows sports has heard an announcer blurt out the phrase that "a team's life is on the line." This usually refers to the dwindling chances that this team has of continuing their season. With their backs to the wall, these teams either surrender to their inevitable fates or fight until there is nothing else to fight for.

In the real world, fighting for one's life is really not that different.

A few months ago, my 90 year old grandfather brushed shoulder with the man in the black robe but managed to juke his way around the sickle carrying bastard.

With new life bestowed upon him, my grandpa lived to play another day and made sure he enjoyed everything that he loved...from devouring great food to munching on foes at the local poker room.

This past Saturday,however, an unexpected stroke put my grandpa's life back on the line.

As a sports junkie, I have this uncontrollable urge to compare everything to the games that I love. If you had to compare life to a sport, it would probably be baseball.

Like baseball, life is a very long road. While the season brings it's  ups and downs, there always seems like there is time to make a final push to reach that coveted crown. Things tend to get harder once you reach the playoffs and the same goes with the twilight of your life. The stakes are raised and your life is truly on the line.

Despite the initial stroke on Saturday, my grandpa found a way to fight back and get back into the game.  But just when we thought a comeback was in the making, fate pushed backed again.

A second stroke hammered my grandpa on Monday and I honestly thought that was the end. Game over. See ya next season (or the afterlife).

But, like those determined teams that are able to scratch their way out of a 0-3 hole in a best of seven series, my grandpa did not give up. He is a fighter and is proving it every time him and the Grim Reaper cross paths.

Despite his frustrations of not being able to talk, write, or really communicate in any normal way, my grandpa is not giving up.  While his fight is far from over, he has evened this final series and, guess what Death, he has home field advantage.

I love my grandpa to the Heavens, but I know that his season will come to a close soon. As most people know nothing beats a decisive game 7 and I'm sure this one will be an epic battle that I will never forget.

Please pray for my grandpa if you do that sort of thing. Because even though this might be a home game for him, he is still a bit of an underdog. However, like most teams that are forced to come from behind, he wouldn't have it any other way.