flower blog

Growing up, I managed to play baseball in two leagues during the year. For the most part, I was an outfielder, but my dad wanted me to learn all the positions in between the seasons one year.

So, he asked me if I wanted to try some third base. I said "sure." Off we went to the baseball field to practice with our bucket of baseballs with my older brother on a Saturday morning.

Now, all I had to do was just learn to throw from third to first while taking ground balls off a bat from home. My dad played first base and he just wanted me to learn the throw. He knew I had a fantastic arm in the outfield, so this should be no problem.


Father and son: Francisco Lopez of Whittier, Calif.,
and Kevin Lopez.

Well, as we progressed that day, he wanted me to throw harder. I was making rainbow tosses over to first from third base. I was being lazy. I admit it.

There was no runner, the ball made it to my dad, so what's the point of throwing hard? Well, I was a kid and started to resent the fact he was pushing me. Finally, things started to get heated. He was waiting for me to throw a solid liner to him. No bounces, just a bullet to him, which I was more than capable of doing.

I began to get angry at this point. So, I finally took a grounder and just threw a laser beam to him. He catches it. The next one is hit to me and I throw a lazy rainbow again out of spite.

That's when I hear him say, "Let's go home." He walks to home plate, packs the balls into the bucket and says we are leaving. I am really mad now. I say "Fine. Let's go!"

Well as we were walking across the field, it occurs to me in a flash. He was teaching me a lesson. If you want to succeed at something, give it everything you got and never settle for less than your best effort. It was a lesson I didn't get until that moment. I immediately said "Stop Dad. Let's go back and try again."

He looks down at me and says, "I was hoping you would say that." So off we went back to the diamond. We spent the next two hours just taking ground balls. I kept throwing as hard as I can every time. No more excuses.

Sometimes it sounds like a mushy moment, but it was the lesson that has resonated throughout my life. I give credit to my dad for not yelling at me and forcing the lessons, but for making me learn the lessons on my own.

He's given me the tools to succeed in life, but he left it up to me to use the tools. So when I think about Father's Day, I think of that one Saturday afternoon. That was the day when a boy really looked at his father and realized he used an amazing game to help teach his son a lesson. It was a lesson I will never forget. Thanks Dad.

By Kevin Lopez

My most memorable moment with my dad was at a softball game while I was in high school. My dad has always been a "yeller and a screamer" so it did not matter whether my team won or lost, my dad was sure to have been yelling during the game. This particular game was the finals of the State Championship.

My parents never missed a game so I knew there was no way around the embarrassment of listening to dad scream, especially at the biggest game a high school athlete can play in. And that he did. In fact, he screamed so loudly he could barely whisper as he was handing me my gold medal after the game.

You see, my dad was the superintendent of the school I attended so he and the principal were in charge of the post-game medal distribution. After a very fun and hard-fought game, a full team dogpile on 3rd base, and even a home run, the absolute best part of my day was as my father put my gold medal around my neck, wrapped his arms around me in a bearhug, and hoarsely whispered "I'm so very proud of you and I love you!"


Dennis Klugh of Fort Cobb, Okla., at a family event.

At that moment, I cared more about how much I'd been able to make my dad happy than about anything else. I thought of the countless hours he'd put in playing catch with me, pitching to me, and hitting grounders to me. I thought of all my teams he'd coached, and each time how I had wished he didn't.

I thought of all the times I'd said, "I hate you!" when he was "critiquing" my play. Then, I thought of how he had more to do with the success of our team than probably any other person at that game and I simply said back "Thanks Dad, for everything, and I love you too!".

My dad had a stroke this past week and may never be able to play catch with me, my brother and sisters, or my kids ever again. He may never be able to pitch to us or hit us grounders again either.

But he will always be the reason we all love the game of baseball (and softball) and the reason we give our best at each and every thing we do! I love you, Dad. Now it's your turn to work hard and get better each day! I may just have to yell at you a few times, but don't worry I won't do or say anything you didn't do to me :-).

By Amber Willits

For Father’s Day, Teleflora and the Prostate Cancer Foundation have teamed up to raise awareness of prostate cancer and men's health, and to raise funds for research. To that end, Teleflora will donate a portion of sales proceeds from its baseball-themed bouquets to the foundation.

 Teleflora is also running its Triple Play sweepstakes through June 26. The grand-prize is a three-day baseball journey for two.

Dads and baseball are such a natural pairing that it got us curious as to all the great stories out there about fathers, sons and daughters sharing a love for a sport, and the broader life lessons we learn both from playing on a team and spending time with Dad.

So, I reached out to Ashley, who runs a blog called: Everyday Life: The everyday life of a baseball wife, but not just about baseball.... http://ashthompson.blogspot.com and asked her if she'd tap her readers for fond memories of their sports-fan dads.

She asked them to share their stories; her readers then selected three semi-finalists and chose a winner to receive a Play Ball or Big Hit bouquet.

The authors were kind enough to let us rerun their stories on the Flower Blog. (Each story is posted separately.)We'd intended to pick just one winner but these are so touching, I think we need to send bouquets to all three. Ashley agreed. :)

There's an old saying that life is measured in seconds and inches. The time we have with our fathers is finite so, if you're lucky enough to still have him around, be sure to make every minute count.

Happy Father's Day!

What better way to welcome a new baby than with a radiant bouquet of flowers? They're the perfect symbol of life's most precious blessings and moments of profound joy.

Speaking of happiness, just look at Heather Glissman, mother of Stella May, who was born on May 1. Heather, her husband Steve and Baby Stella live in Richmond, Va.

These are lovely blooms, to be sure. And we're especially excited that, on June 22, we’ll be launching a new line of floral gifts for babies and new parents, designed by the trend-setting designers known as the MiGi Girls, Michele Adams and Gia Russo. It's just darling and we can't wait to see more pix from smiling families and their new additions.

Come back Monday to see the line and read guest posts from the girls.

Flowers, and particularly roses, have a pretty extensive vocabulary.

For instance, a bouquet of rosebuds tells the recipient “you’re youthful and beautiful.”

A rose without thorns says “love at first sight.” 

A tea rose conveys the sentiment that “you'll be remembered forever.”

A dozen roses is flowerspeak for "Be mine." And orange represents desire and enthusiasm.

And there's more. The number of roses you choose also communicates feelings. Just do the math:

* A grouping of three roses is traditional gift for a one-month anniversary.

* Reward a loyal pal with 13 roses. That means you want to be friends for life.

* Ooops! Mistakes happen and if you're tired of saying sorry again and again, the floral way to go is to send 15 roses.

* A bouquet of 20 roses = sincerity. Really & truly.

* Smitten with your sweetie? Then 36 roses will make your case. (Guess you didn't really need me to tell you that 3 dozen roses will get you noticed!)

* To express limitless love, 50 roses will do the trick and create a lifelong memory.

To read more, visit http://www.teleflora.com/rose_numbers.asp?topnav=Flower%20Guides.