R.I.P Arnold Palmer and Jose Fernandez- Great Athletes Who Perfomed with JOY.

Today, for the seond day in a row, I woke up with tears in my eyes.
I just learned that the great golfer, Arnold Palmer, age 87 had passed away.

On the face of it, Arnold Palmer would seem to have little in common with the great young pitcher Jose Fernandez, age 24, who had died tragically in a boating accident the day before.

One played golf, the other baseball, one died of natural causes, the other in a boating accident; one revolutionized the sport he played; the other was just starting a career with infinite promise.

Yet these two remarkable athletes, from such different backgrounds and with such different histories had one thing in common- they loved the sport they played, played it at the highest level, and did so with a joy and exhuberance that inspired everyone around them

Talent is one thing, determination and hard work another, passion for what they do is third- all great athletes have those traits.

But to perform at the highest level with the sheer unadulterated JOY in their sport- that is truly special.

Arnold Palmer and Jose Fernandez both did that and that is what will be remembered about them as much as their incandescent talent.

Let me close with something personal None of us are here forever. I am 70. The clock is ticking and at times I find myself thinking about how I want to be remembered

And as I contemplate the passing of these two great athletes, their example is the one I would like people to think of in how they remember me:

"Whatever else you say about Mark Naison, say he loved what he did and he TAUGHT WITH JOY!"

When the best among us leave, let their lives be a guide to those still here.