For My Buddy Oz, A Comeback of Sorts

My little buddy Oscar, who was born Sept. 1, has had more difficulty in his short life than should be legal. It's been one physical problem after another and rarely a day with no challenge.

Last week, the Oz was in the hospital for a couple of days with a respiratory problem that was a mystery to the docs. I'm not sure they ever solved it to their satisfaction, but left his parents--my son and his wife--with the open-ended hypothesis that he was going to be catching things for a while.

Difficult as life has been for the little boy to this point, he has shown an amazing resiliency and good cheer. He bounces back from his discomfort with smiles and play in a way I doubt his grandpa could or would even want to do.

I haven't had enough time with Oz yet to become one of his inner circle and when I get close, his lower lip often starts to quiver. Today, though, he let me pick him up and even gave me a smile.

He's a stocky boy, a linebacker in waiting, as it were. We didn't last a long with our new best friend game, but it was nice to maybe get a short preview of what could be coming. I'm just hoping Oz can kick whatever it is that's holding him back at this point. He's too young to have to deal with that.

Light a candle for my little bud, if you would.