Considering what 2020 has taken from us, Tiger and Charlie Woods are a needed gift

I've been a big golf fan most of my life, though not a huge Tiger Woods fan, simply because at some point he just got a little too good and too popular (call me a contrarian, I guess). That certainly didn't mean I didn't respect what he could do out there, I just wanted to see other players win, and for a stretch, that didn't happen all that often. 

Funny thing, though, when he ran into some personal challenges several years ago — and revealed himself to be truly imperfect like the rest of us ― I became a huge fan (call me a humanist, I guess). I hated to see him beset by all those back troubles, and as someone who hasn't been immune from individual challenges myself, I hoped for his personal recovery. I'm not being flippant when I note that Tiger's humanity was a game-changer for me. 

And because throughout my career as a sports journalist I always rooted for happy stories with sappy, joyous comebacks (don't call me a cynic, I guess), I was trilled to witness Tiger's amazing 2019 Masters championship. I could not have been happier for him or his family. It truly was gratifying. 

And now … now, this weekend, watching Tiger and his 11-year-old son Charlie playing together in the PNC Father Son Challenge, I actually find myself buoyed by the goodness of it all. To see those two, playing together almost as though the rest of us aren't even watching; sharing in some pure father-and-son joy together, well, it's amazingly cool to see. 

Here is where I need to stop, just for a parenthetic deviation. Look, I'm not here to preach to anyone. We've had far too much of that already this year. If you still have some issues with Tiger and what he did away from the golf course way back then, you're entitled to those opinions. Believe me, I know a few who haven't forgiven him for his "sins" and likely never will. Oh well. Life, I'm starting to realize, is far too fleeting to spend demanding and/or shaming people into coming around to a certain point of view (don't call me a hypocrite; call me someone who's trying to progress and heal, I guess). 

The only preaching I'll do is this: It's perfectly fine to have opinions, and if they differ with friends and family, that's even better. Of course it's worth noting that the best opinions in the world mean virtually nothing if the person opining isn't moderately mindful. 

Now, back to Tiger and Charlie. 

Seeing the two of them playing together these past few days has been a delight at the end of a year filled with devastation. For me, at least, it has been a joy to observe. 

I'm going to stop myself short of calling it a "Christmas miracle." But considering what 2020 has taken from us, this definitely feels like a gift. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.