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Grace White, a longtime blogger for Extra Inning Softball’s “Inside Pitch” series, finished her college career this spring as a senior for her Division II Union University Bulldogs and, last month, received her diploma after she majored in Journalism.
She is now “entering the big girl world!” as she puts it after also being the Sports Editor for the Cardinal & Cream, the school’s student publication, and has a younger sister who plays in the Virginia Unity club organization.
Speaking of which, here’s a fun read where Grace talks about both siblings, especially the youngest sister, Abigail, and how she has her special place in softball and the world overall…
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“I’m tired of being just Esther’s sister.”
That’s what my youngest sister Abigail said after one of the Tennessee Class 2A State Tournament games that she and Esther’s Waverly Central High School team played in. Esther had been walked three times and hit a two-run bomb, while Abigail sat the bench and was the team’s biggest hype man.
Esther is a junior in high school. She’s committed to play softball at the University of Georgia, and she has her own fan club of little girls that want to be just like her. She’s a beast on the field, and everybody knows it—her fans and opponents alike.
Abigail isn’t known for her softball abilities. Even though when she puts her mind to it, she’s probably better than either me or Esther. Instead, she’s great at video games. She stays on top of her schoolwork and makes all A’s. She’s kind-hearted and funny, and like me, she can probably tell you anything you want to know about Marvel.
This wasn’t the first time that Abigail had expressed how she feels about living in Esther’s shadow, and every time she says something, it hurts my heart because I see things about her that she doesn’t see—things that set her apart and make her the amazing person she is. I try to make her feel better, but I’m not sure that it helps.
Later that afternoon, both of their talents were on display for the crowd to see. Waverly was playing against Forrest High School for the chance to advance to the championship game.
Esther led off the game with a home run that easily cleared the right field fence and got intentionally walked in the three at-bats that she had after that.
Abigail wore a sparkly blue pool inner-tube with a red and blue cowboy hat and white and blue pom poms, and after just about every hit, she ran in front of the fans and then back into the dugout. She made everybody laugh and cheer, and even though the Waverly Lady Tigers didn’t win, her voice was barely a whisper when it was over.
I tell this story to make the point that none of us are the same.
We all have different interests and talents, but that doesn’t mean we should be afraid to dream big. It’s great to shoot for the stars, but if, at some point, you feel like you’re not as good as the person next to you, try to remember that there are probably things that you can do that they can’t.
It reminds me of a passage from 1st Corinthians, a book in the New Testament. In 12:14-20, it reads,
“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body” (ESV).
These verses are talking about the church, but the same principle can apply to a team or to siblings. Not everyone can be the star pitcher or the cleanup hitter. The same person that plays center field probably isn’t as well equipped to be the third baseman. The older sister in the family doesn’t have the same responsibilities as the younger sister.
God made each of us different because He has a unique purpose for all of us. He didn’t want a world of just Graces or Esthers or Abigails. If He had done that, we wouldn’t have had the chance to experience the joy of being around the Hadleys and Emmalees of the world.
I want this article to be an inspiration not only to my sweet Abigail but also to anybody else who feels like they are living in someone’s shadow. Even if you think you are existing in the dark, I can guarantee you that the world wouldn’t be the same without you!
— Grace White, Extra Inning Softball correspondent
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