Essays on caring for Mom, Red Sox legend Castiglione draw reader responses
Bradford, New Hampshire
To take such a difficult topic and weave such a tender story full of love is truly a credit to both [the writer] and [his] mom.
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rochebull
posted on bostonglobe.com
I was my mother's chief caretaker during her last few years, going to her home on Cape Cod every other week. . . . The hours would be filled with a whirlwind of activity — doing the grocery shopping, cooking some meals ahead that she could just reheat, doing the cleaning and laundry, taking her to her doctors' appointments — trying, trying, trying, to do whatever I could to make her comfortable and keep her safe. . . . I wish I could hear her voice one more time.
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IAMRETIREDYAY
posted on bostonglobe.com
My mom was a nurse in Boston during the same era. Bad weather meant she might have to 'pull a double' rather than driving home 30 minutes away. Always in her whites, even as the director of nursing. I took pride in being allowed to polish her white shoes. We learned compassion and that end of life is inevitable. Her demise was a long one. Her body gave out but her mind didn't. That was a blessing and a curse for all of us, but she taught us how to live in the world and how to leave it.
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sharkboy
posted on bostonglobe.com
Whole New Ballgame
I really enjoyed Jamie McClellan's Perspective on Joe Castiglone and summer nights listening to Red Sox games on the radio (
Steve Soskin
Tewksbury
McClellan did a superb job of describing Joe Castiglione's voice and famous calls. I have had the good fortune to live next to the Castigliones for some 40 years and have heard his voice on many occasions. One Saturday at 9 a.m., I was in the driveway washing my car. I heard Joe calling a game. 'That ball is driven up the right-field line. It's going for extra bases.' A few moments later, 'Deep to left field. That should drive the runner in.' And on and on. I looked around the trees between our properties. There's Joe with his grandchildren, maybe 4, 5, 6 years old, playing wiffle ball. I smiled and said to myself, Joe Castiglione. Good guy.
Jerry Morris
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Marshfield
A wonderful tribute!
Arthur Hillman
Housatonic
It was a pleasure to listen to Joe do some spring training games [in March] on WEEI. I hope he comes back as an occasional play-by-play guy.
Koch_Brothers
posted on bostonglobe.com
Transitions are always difficult and this one will be more painful than most. You can't have that comforting constant in your life yanked away without an impact. So we'll feel a little like we're missing a security blanket . . . made a little worse by the tease of hearing him call a few spring games.
rrendine
posted on bostonglobe.com
Among the many reasons to love Joe Castiglione is this: a real New Englander, he knew how to pronounce Wareham, Worcester, Eastham, Leicester, Chatham, and Stoneham. We knew he was one of us.
Sam Chapin
Plymouth
I will miss Joe's call of the games, but I will also miss the stories, musings, and reminiscences with which he filled the intervals that constitute the bulk of every baseball game: the relief pitcher's long walk in from the bullpen, rain delays, the manager's mound visit. . . . Joe filled these moments with recollections about everything from where to get the best Italian food in every Major League city to the obscure names of players who only made it to the majors for a cup of coffee. Over the years I wrote letters to him after the season ended, telling him how much it meant to me, sitting in my house or car in North Carolina, to connect to the game through him. Inevitably, around Thanksgiving, I would receive a handwritten note thanking me for listening.
UNC65
posted on bostonglobe.com
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Thanks so much for the very nice story on me. Much appreciated.
Joe Castiglione
Marshfield
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