Jon Lester

Some thoughts this morning on a matter of grave concern from back home.
A lot of you know how seriously I take the Boston Red Sox. I am lucky enough to be a Bostonian, through and through, and the Red Sox provide me with 162 days of joy, consternation, blood, sweat and tears every spring, summer and fall. It consumes all of us in Boston, a part of our lives that only religion and family can match for those 162 days.
But all that is silent now, unimportant in the face of the diagnosis last night of lymphoma for Jon Lester.
I awoke early this morning in Cape Town to the sad and, frankly, horrifying news. To be 22 and having to stare down cancer must be unbelievably frightening. Luckily, the form of cancer Lester has been diagnosed with is eminently treatable, and, thanks to the incredible "luck" of a minor car accident a week ago, it was caught early. Despite the fact that baseball is the least important part of his life right now, Jon's teammates are already encouraged that Jon will rejoin them next spring in Fort Myers and be able to return to his status as a rising star in the major leagues.
Whether Jon Lester wins another game, or strikes out another hitter with that nasty moving fastball of his are not important, however. He is about to face down his worst, most fearsome enemy. And just like he does every fifth night for the Red Sox, I have full confidence that this is a battle Lester intends to win.
Red Sox Nation (both Cape Town and Boston chapters, as well as all the others around the globe) are pulling for you Jon. Be well.

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Support the fight against cancer for Jon Lester and the thousands of other children and adults stricken each year, go to www.jimmyfund.com and make a donation today.