I will never forget the first time I saw her, an image of resplendent beauty, life’s definition of perfection, a visage from far beyond the mortal realm. The crystalline glow which emanated from all that she was, touched me and I stood breathless in her presence, instantaneously made whole. My soul whispered, “Did my heart not love till now?”
I knew not what awaited me, I only knew that my life was never to be the same. I only knew that I wanted to be by her side, revel in her energy, bask in her glow.
It was a rocky start as we did not get to spend as much time together as I would have liked. Uncertainty defined us but the tug, the pull, the attraction was strong, palpable and undeniable.
Life intervened, testing, challenging. In separate ships we sailed, passing, watching, knowing and we found solace resting together in peaceful ports.
The wind of the seas tossed and turned, threatening, foreboding and at times seemed certain to send our ships to the bottom of the sea…
We endured.
There were times when the fires of hell, would burn so hot that to be consumed seemed the only fate…
We endured.
There was the anguish of a vast emptiness, brought on by the separation of cold and lonely winters…
We endured.
The winds of change blew hard, menacing, shaping, changing…
Carving within you a beauty deeper than was ever fathomable through, the fledgling eyes of yesterday. Your comeliness increased, strengthened, brightened through the passing years.
Years have turned to decades and we know not what the future holds. For we have lived, and died and loved before and now we love again. I have loved you with every fiber of my being, complete, total and I have given myself to you unabashedly and without reservation.
Through the pains and joys and aches of bygone days, the cosmic tumblers have clicked and showed us what’s possible. Each step we have taken, you have affirmed, confirmed and reconfirmed what I knew on that radiant night so long ago…with you I am made whole.
And you have loved me back.
So take my hand again and let us walk awhile, spring approaches and I long to once again walk with your hand in mine. And when the time comes and we shuffle off this mortal coil it is the love that will remain.
Hello and welcome, my name is Raymond Sinibaldi. A retired history teacher, after 26 years in the classroom, a baseball fan for three score and five, I have authored 13 books. Eight about baseball and her glorious history; most recently Yankees in the Hall of Fame and Dodgers in the Hall of Fame. An aficionado of the Kennedy Administration, I have written four books in that realm and also co-authored a book of motivational stories for coaches. The first, The Babe in Red Stockings which was co-authored with Kerry Keene and David Hickey and released in 1997. It is a chronicle of Babe's days with the Red Sox. We also penned a screenplay about Babe's Red Sox days so if any of you are Hollywood inclined or would like to represent us in forwarding that effort feel free to contact me. In 2012 we three amigos published Images of Fenway Park in honor of the 100th birthday of Fenway Park. That led to the creation of this blog. The following year, 2013 came my first solo venture, Spring Training in Bradenton and Sarasota. This is a pictorial history of spring training in those two Florida cities. The spring of 2014 brought forth the 1967 Red Sox, The Impossible Dream Season. The title speaks for itself, and it also is a pictorial history. Many of the photos in this book were never published before. The spring of 2015 brought 1975 Red Sox, American League Champions. Another pictorial effort, this will be about the Red Sox championship season of 1975 and the World Series that restored baseball in America. The spring of 2016 brought 61 Motivational Stories for Every Coach of Every Sport. My first JFK effort was in 2017 with John F Kennedy in New England, which was followed by JFK From Florida to the Moon (2019) and JFK At Rest in Arlington (2020). Jackie's Newport came about in 2019 and in 2023 came both Yankees in the Hall of Fame and Dodgers in the Hall of Fame. I was fortunate enough to consult with sculptor Franc Talarico on the “Jimmy Fund” statue of Ted Williams which stands outside both Fenway Park and Jet Blue Park Fenway South, in Fort Myers Florida. That story is contained in the near 300 posts which are contained herein. Throughout the years this blog has morphed from an exclusive Red Sox focus, to a broader baseball perspective to a blog about life, with baseball a large portion of it. This year, 2024, I have reactivated this blog which lay dormant for quite some time. Welcome aboard, pass the word and feel free to contact me about anything you read or ideas you may have for a topic. Email me at fenwaypark100@gmail.com.
2 Responses to For My Valentine…”And Think Not That You Can Guide the Course of Love, for Love, if it Finds You Worthy, Shall Guide Your Course.” Kahlil Gibran
fenwaypark100 
Ah, Ray,our love is a many splendored thing.
Wonderful writing Garry. There’s so much talent in this home!