Taking One for the Team ... A Really Hard One, Yo

GRATEFUL GIRL'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
We've all been there, either literally or figuratively.

At some point or another in our personal and/or professional lives, we have all had to "take one for the team." Of this, we were all painfully reminded last Monday as Washington Nationals' outfielder Bryce Harper (the cutie at left) took a really, really big one for his team during the Nats afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants. But he didn't take it lying down.

In what is now the infamous mound-charging incident of MLB's 2017 season (at least, so far), Harper chucked his helmet at relief pitcher Hunter Strickland and made a beeline directly for Strickland in response to being drilled in the hip by a 98 MPH fast ball. It looked pretty intentional to everyone who saw it live, watched the replay or even streamed it online after the fact.

Yep, there was no denying Strickland wailed on Harper with full malice; it was patently obvious to all. Well, maybe except Tiger Woods, who's having a little trouble focusing these days, it seems. I digress.

It's really hard to take the high road sometimes, especially when you have a welt the size of Rhode Island on your hip simply because you hit two home runs against a guy three years ago. Not cool, Strickland.

Then again, two wrongs and all, which is why both players are now suspended and fined.

Either way, sometimes, you just have to stand strong and take it on the chin...or hip...for your family, friends, colleagues or team mates. It may not be a fastball. It could be assuming blame for a mistake on a report or in a presentation that was not yours; or it might be accepting responsibility for a task or chore that should clearly have been assigned to someone else; then again, it may just be having to make a midnight run to the market for emergency school supplies for a final project --- even though you graduated high school in 1986; just sayin'. 

Try hard to swallow your pride when taking one for the team ... and maybe even show a little dignity when you do, yo. Because, at some point down the road, someone's going to take one for you, too. #beagoodsport


See Lk 1:45 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:39-56 ...And Mary said:"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever."        

PHOTO: https://www.google.com/search?q=bryce+harper&tbm=isch&imgil=o2D5A2zSNWwC3M%253A%253B0QFVdC_okWE7_M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.espn.com%25252Fmlb%25252Fplayer%25252F_%25252Fid%25252F30951%25252Fbryce-harper&source=iu&pf=m&fir=o2D5A2zSNWwC3M%253A%252C0QFVdC_okWE7_M%252C_&usg=__81nQw_dadDo7ei1RTO5PbLOUNB4%3D&biw=1920&bih=1070&ved=0ahUKEwjNpqnSgZrUAhWP0YMKHdTcCaMQyjcImwE&ei=6KYuWc2SA4-jjwTUuaeYCg#imgrc=65KqNUHf82_yFM: 

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