By Danielle Bednar

Well, if you thought we were done talking about baseball, you would be sadly mistaken, but that is just the story of my life. Sometimes, the world simply stops for a game.

That’s exactly what happened a few weeks ago when Team USA played Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. While the outcome wasn’t ideal, it was an incredible experience seeing my brother with “USA” across his chest, playing for our country in such a high-stakes environment.

During my 24 hours in Miami, I caught up with my parents, my brother, my sister-in-law and my nephew. Their presence sparked the inspiration for this week’s column: I want us to get to know each other a little better.

Up until now, you probably pictured me as a baseball-obsessed, stressed-out college senior. While there is plenty of truth to that, there’s more to the story. I am an avid online shopper, a Diet Coke enthusiast and someone who will find any excuse to be outside if the UV index is over 7.

I despise tomatoes, my favorite color is a dark army green, and I truly believe that if you aren’t 10 minutes early, you’re late, something my dad has instilled in
me, but we’ll get to that later.

I believe everything happens for a reason (even if we never find out why), and I find most card games incredibly confusing. I love meeting new people, but I love
hearing their life stories even more. I’m fascinated by the weird details that make someone who they are. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither were we.

While this isn’t my farewell article, I’m feeling quite sappy this Thursday afternoon. I want to give a shoutout to a select few of the people who made me who I am today.

First, there’s my best friend, Macy. Macy is the reason I know true friendship exists. She has shown up time and time again, teaching me what it means to truly have someone’s back. She is proof that while some families you are born into, other families are picked up along the way. Everyone deserves a “Macy” in their life; however, they don’t grow on trees, so if you find one, hold on tight.

Next, I want to give my parents the “real estate” in this column they deserve. I know raising two heathens wasn’t easy, so Mom and Dad: you’re welcome for finally giving you a break! In all seriousness, they are the most supportive people I know. For example, after three weekends of traveling to watch my brothers play, they are driving to Louisville, Ky., to spend a day and a half with their daughter—to watch more baseball, of course.

That leads me to my favorite thing about my parents: their willingness to show up. Whether it’s a 24-hour turnaround or a 14-hour drive home from Mississippi on a Sunday night, they are there.

When I was younger, I didn’t understand why we spent so much time in the car just to watch my brothers throw a ball. As I’ve gotten older, those miles mean more than ever. It was never just about seeing another game; it was about showing up for the people you love. It’s funny how that ties back to my dad’s favorite rule: ‘If you’re not early, you’re late.’ In a roundabout way, he’s been teaching me the value of showing up since I was a kid.

If you take nothing else away from this week’s column, I hope it’s a sense of gratitude for the people who show up for you. And remember, I really do not like tomatoes