A Tale of Ballpark Magic
(A winding, but loving tribute to my Daddy on my first Father’s Day without him)
My beloved Daddy died on December 17, 2023, after a prolonged illness. Just typing those words causes a palpable ache in my heart, a deep longing to hear his ridiculous laugh just one more time. My life thus far has given me a black belt in grief skills but processing his loss and accepting it is still very much a work in progress for me.
As Father’s Day approaches, I have been grappling with his loss, how someone so good is no longer here and how to carry on his legacy in a way that honors a man whose life had
ripple effects further than I think any of us can comprehend. This leads us to our tale of “ballpark magic.” My son, Joseph, is playing sports for the first time. We absolutely are the luckiest people in the world he got on the team he did. The coaches are literal saints and have been instrumental in bringing out the best in each kid on the team. Joseph has grown by leaps and bounds. He faces in the right direction now at least 70% of the time, a monumental improvement! I have no idea what I am doing and am in general just loud and constantly asking what just happened. This story does not have anything to do with the actual game of baseball. It’s about the people in the stands.
After the first few games, I started sitting at the top of the bleachers next to a fellow mom named Courtney. She laughed at my jokes, she complimented my ridiculous ombre scrubs I wore from work, and in general we vibed. She often wore a baseball cap as did the bulk of the Mothers at the Lakeview ball fields. Our bond was cemented when I accurately predicted a loss for the ages when the red team stepped on the field. She was lovely, and I missed her when she was not there. As the season wore on, I overheard her talking to someone about chemo and I realized my delightful new friend had just completed a round of chemo but was still such a loving, positive, present mother. She rocked a cap because she lost her hair while fighting the good fight against breast cancer. I was touched but said nothing to her. I believe our stories are sacred and if she wanted, she would share the story with me while witnessing 5- and 6-year-old baseball magic.
The next game came around and she was rocking a new wig so fabulous it should have its own name and theme music. I complimented her hair and she told me about her journey. 
“Well, I have cancer. I have breast cancer. I just completed my last round of chemo in May and now I get to rock this hair.” I told her I was sorry. I looked her in her eyes and told her how incredible I thought she was, and I meant every word. As the conversation went on she told me it was an incredibly rare type of cancer, Stage 2 Metaplastic Breast Cancer, which makes up less than 1% off all breast cancers. Then I felt compelled to share my own experience and how I weathered my personal hardships, albeit different ones than hers. I said, “When you are going through something like this – something that’s rare – it feels incredibly isolating. My family went through something in March of 2014 when our 15-month-old son died in his sleep. It’s called SUDC and is really rare, accounting for 1.2 deaths out of 100,000 kids aged 1 to 18 each year. We are really not active anymore but for 5 years we had a non-profit in his name called Drew’s Tunes.”
Courtney gasped and said “You’re Drew’s Tunes?! I was pregnant with my daughter when that happened. I remember you. I remember him. I can’t believe your you.” I then pointed to Emmaline who was sitting in front of us and Joseph who at the time was playing with a rock and said, “No one imagines being the family the terrible thing happens to, but it did happen, and we are ok. It was a process, but we are okay despite the unfairness of it all. I know your journey is different, but I feel in my bones you are going to be OK too.” Last night Courtney and I took a picture to commemorate the magic that happened on those sometimes inexplicably sticky bleachers.
She looked at my me and said, “You never get a follow up story you know when you hear
about tragedies like Drew. I told my friends they remembered it too and then I got to tell them you were okay. “
I looked at my new friend and told her that we owe our meeting to my Daddy. He always looked people in the eye. He was never afraid to be vulnerable and authentic. His razor-sharp wit is the stuff of legends; I am a distant second but have a certificate from the Class of 98 in Minden, LA to verify my status as Wittiest Girl.
He is no longer here but I carry those things with me and most of all his ability to love people and marvel at how wonderful they can be. I will honor him for the rest of my days by never forgetting the magic he brought to the world. I love Courtney, I admire Courtney and my life is better due to knowing her.
Thank you, Daddy, for bringing her into my life, I honor you on Father’s Day and everyday.
Georgia Boswell
Georgia Boswell hails from Minden, Louisiana, but she has been proud to call New Orleans home since 2004. Georgia received an undergraduate degree from Louisiana Tech and acquired a Masters in Hospitality and Tourism Management from UNO. She enjoys reading, traveling and sampling the many treasures New Orleans has to offer. Georgia has worked in medical sales for over 14 years and is thankful for the all the wonderful people her job has enabled her to meet.
Georgia met Devron during Mardi Gras 2007 and they officially became Team Boswell on May 23, 2009. They were blessed to welcome Drew Joseph Boswell into the world on November 27, 2012. Tragically Drew died in his sleep on March 12, 2014. His death was attributable to SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood).
Georgia and Devron, with the tireless support of many friends, started Drew’s Tunes for the two-fold purpose of providing musical instruments to children and to support the work of the SUDC Foundation. Since its inception, Drew’s Tunes, has donated thousands of instruments impacting the lives of local children.
Georgia is the Mother of three beautiful children Drew (forever 15 months old) Emmaline (9) and Joseph (5). Devron and Georgia love telling Emmaline and Joseph all about their brother Drew. They look forward to carrying on Drew’s legacy of love and music as a family.
