When I was in high school, all I could think about was summer, because that meant softball was just around the corner. See, I had been practicing my pitching all winter, and I could not wait to try out my new pitches! It was just another normal Sunday afternoon pitching clinic. I had warmed up my arm and was ready to start into my full pitch. I had thrown about 10 pitches when I started to feel a pain in my shoulder and it had started to pop during every pitch. Eventually, I decided to call it a night because the pain continued to worsen.
Soon enough I found myself in tears by the fact that I couldn’t even put a mixing bowl in the cupboard due to my shoulder. My mom decided that we were going to go see the doctor. After several tests, I soon received the news that I had torn my labrum and that I would never be able to pitch again. At that moment I had thought my whole world had ended.
After my surgery, my family reminded me to have hope and that things would get better. My physical therapist also continued to remind me that I needed to have a little bit of hope because he to had hope that I would play again. That little bit of hope and strength from my family, friends, and doctors, was able to get me out on the softball field for yet another season.
While I was at practice, I was learning my limits with throwing the ball, and realizing I wasn’t able to do all the things I use to do. My coaches told me to keep my head up, and I needed that little bit of hope to get me back into the game I loved so dearly.
It was almost the end of the season, and we were playing against one of our favorite teams! The score was eight to six and there was one out! The pitch was thrown and the next thing you know, I had the ball in my hand and I was throwing it home! Even though we had gotten the runner out, that wasn’t the only thing that was out. I was out again and then there was surgery number two.
Even though I was never able to play again, I had hope for my team that they would continue to play their hearts and go get that next win! One of the greatest lessons I have learned from this experience is that no matter what happens, you always have to have a little bit of hope.
As dictionary.com had said, hope means “A feeling that events will turn out for the best”. Recently my family and I had to dig deep down and find that little bit of hope. While I was at my Nana and Papa’s house for one of our family bonfires, I was sitting next to my Nana when she asked me to come inside and help her. I, of course, said yes and proceeded to follow her inside. As I was waiting to hear what we were going to be doing, I noticed Nana had tears in her eyes. The next few words that Nana said, were words I hoped I hadn’t heard. Those words were, “I have cancer”. As she pulled me in for a hug, Nana said to me, “It’s going to be alright, we just have to pray and have a little bit of hope”. It was those few words that told me, everything is going to be alright.
My Nana is one of the strongest people I have ever met, and with her being positive and keeping her hope, she continues to show us all that sometimes hope is all we need. As she has gone through her surgery’s, I found that my Nana is even stronger than before, and I hope that the next time life throws me a curveball, I will have hope just like my Nana.
Sometimes life throws us curve balls, some are good and some aren’t so good. Sometimes it is an opportunity to follow your dreams, and sometimes it tests you as an individual. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that sometimes that little bit of hope is the only thing you can hold on to, and sometimes that is all you need. Whether or not life continues to throw you a curveball, I hope that you can find a little bit of hope.
Smile for the camera,
Jodie Mausser
2018-2019 Iowa FFA State Reporter
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