Take Time To Greet Your Neighbors...

I met Tony while walking our dogs in the neighborhood. The thing I liked about Tony was that he always had something nice to say, he never complained, and was so cheerful! You would see Tony greeting neighbors with such enthusiasm and a general warm heart. We would talk about the neighborhood, the weather, and he always wanted to know how I was doing as well as my dog Stella.

I hadn't seen Tony outside for a while and noticed a lot of commotion at his house on Tuesday. Yesterday morning I opened the Sacramento Bee to see that Tony had passed away on Monday the 14th. I was heartsick. I cried at the loss of a man I barely knew and would miss his cheery greetings.

I learned some pretty cool things about Tony that I wish I had found out about in our talks... Tony played baseball for the Sacramento Solons, and played in the Mexican American League in the 1960s. He was inducted into the Mexican-American Hall of Fame Sports Association in the 1990s, and passed his love of sports on to children as a Little League coach.

I will think of Tony and his dog every time Stella and I go for a walk. I know he is in heaven playing baseball on what I am sure is the best dream team of all!

Take time to greet your neighbors, you never know who you'll meet!

Rest in Peace Tony Rojo!