Yesterday was one of those marathon days that started early and ended late.

What I thought would be a normal day at the office turned into one of those “just one more patient” kind of days, about 4½ hours later than planned. By the time I finally got home, it was time for dinner followed by some trick-or-treating with the kids and a few friends.

Less than two hours later, the kids’ candy bags were overflowing. Smiles all around and enough sugar to last until Christmas.

Once they finished sorting and trading their loot, it was time for Dodger baseball. I watched the first seven innings with the family, but then went to bed.

Early the next morning, I woke up to a text from a fellow Dodger-fan friend whose first four words were, “WOW. What an ending.”

My wife woke up later and filled me in on what I’d missed. And just in case you’ve been living under a rock and didn’t know the Dodgers were fighting to win it all again, here’s what happened:

The Blue Jays were up three games to two, just one win away from taking home the championship trophy. It’s Game 6. The Dodgers are clinging to a 3–1 lead in the ninth inning. The Blue Jays have two runners on base with only one out, one solid hit away from tying the game and possibly ending the Dodgers’ season. The tension is thick, the crowd’s roaring, and then Toronto’s Jiménez cracks a line drive that rockets toward left field.

For a split second, it looks like disaster, until outfielder Kike Hernández charges in, snags the ball on the run, and fires to second for a double play to end the game.

Something that has never been done before in a post-season game.

Afterward, Hernandez admitted he lost the ball in the lights but simply ran toward where he thought it would be. At the last moment, he spotted it, made the catch, and sealed the Dodgers’ victory, forcing a Game 7.

Plays like that don’t happen by accident. They’re the product of years of preparation, repetition, and discipline, all those unseen moments that make you ready when the unexpected happens.

Health works the same way.

It’s built through daily habits: how you move, rest, eat, hydrate, and care for your body, long before a crisis ever shows up. Those quiet, consistent disciplines prepare you to handle life’s surprises: a fall, an injury, a long week of stress, or a challenge you never saw coming.

When you’re healthy and prepared, your body doesn’t panic, it adapts. You recover faster, stay steadier, and bounce back with greater ease and confidence.

Just like Kike’s training and focus prepared him for that unpredictable line drive, your preparation determines how your body responds to health challenge. The more you invest in your health now, the better equipped you’ll be when the next big pitch comes your way.

When you stay consistent, even in the small things, you’re better prepared for whatever curveballs come your way.

So this week, keep training, keep working, keep trusting, and let God handle the ninth inning.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Dr. Derek ‘Go Dodger Blue’ Taylor