I will turn 52 years old in July. Also in July, my only daughter Tara Beth will be married. This spring and early summer, my youngest son, Travis and I spent hours planting grapes, raspberries, blueberries and 6 cherry trees. Last fall, I planted 14 apple trees. I am realizing as I type this that all of these events are related.
I think often of my life and wonder about the legacy I might leave behind. Jesus said that he knew us before we were in the womb, which used to be a bizarre concept for me to grasp. But when Arlene asked me why I was planting the berries, grapes and apple and cherry trees, I said without hesitating or thinking, “I am planting them for my unborn grandchildren.”
I understand and accept my mortality. My dad died when he was 57. I will be 52 in July. I pray I will live to meet my grandchildren … and maybe even a great grand child or two … but regardless, I love them now and want to leave something behind, from me to them. Knowing and loving them before they are in the womb is no longer an unusual concept to me. I now totally understand.
I began writing Playing with the Enemy for my children, with very little thought of publishing. I wanted my kids to know their grandfather and grandmother. I wanted them to love and appreciate them the way I do, even though Toby was 5, Tara Beth only 1 and Travis was not even born when my father died. I guess I intended the fruit of my work on this book to be a “conversation between generations” and I believe it is. There will be an exciting movie announcement very soon. I’m not allowed to say more other than my son, Toby has and will play an instrumental role in bringing his grandfathers life to the big screen. This means that before the book is released (September 15, 2006)there is already a dialogue occuring between three generations.
I received the most wonderful letter from a delightful man in Los Angeles. His wife picked up a galley of “Playing with the Enemy” at Book Expo of America. He sent me a wonderful E-mail, sharing his thoughts on baseball, his family and the way the Dodgers have bound together several generations of his family. I wrote back and thanked him for his kind words. What I didn’t tell him is that he brought me to tears. My father’s life struck a chord with him and made him think about his family. I could not be happier about it.
Playing with the Enemy is no longer only a book for my children, but a conversation between generations about a life and era that can be read, and hopefully enjoyed for many generations to come. I pray it is not an organized binder of paper and ink, but a living document that will make you ponder and find your own meaning of life, family and legacy.
Gary
ISBN 1-932-714-24-3 (1932714243)
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