Traina Thoughts: ESPN's Tony Reali Talks About Losing a Child and Grief in Powerful Monologue

"Around the Horn" host Tony Reali spoke powerfully about grieving after a devastating loss.

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1. If you do one thing today, take 94 seconds and watch the emotional speech that Tony Reali gave yesterday on recently losing a child. It's raw and hard to get through, but it's unbelievably important for many reasons.

The Around the Horn host was expecting twins earlier this month. Moments before childbirth, one of the babies, his son Amadeo, passed. Reali appeared briefly on Around the Horn on Monday to share his feelings on humanity and grieving and what's going on in this country.

Today we welcomed @tonyreali back to the show! In FaceTime he shared his feelings about his recent loss, his recent addition, and how he's getting through it all. pic.twitter.com/myaoby0kzO

— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) June 18, 2018

Reali had shared the story of what he was going through via Twitter a day earlier -- Father's Day.

Heartened by Father’s Day wishes.

In recognition that this day like all things in life could mean different things to different people -parent and child, positive and negative-I’d like to speak here about fathers who’ve experienced loss.

This month I became one.

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

The duality of all this - the anguish and the joy - is impossible to grasp. But it’s one we know we must navigate. For me that means two things: giving voice to our feelings, and allowing others to lift us when we can’t shoulder the load of those feelings.

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

The heaviness of giving a eulogy for a son who never had a chance to breathe. Having to talk to our just-old-enough-to-know daughter who was expecting two siblings. These are impossible moments; how can any parent go forward? Ever be whole?

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

Consider that grief could mean meeting ourselves where we actually are. That’s what I’m talking about when I talk about navigating feelings. Recognizing we didn’t get to know Amadeo- but sure as anything we felt him. Felt his kicks, felt his presence. That feeling is life.

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

I am not somebody who thinks everything happens for a reason. I’ve spent time here* & here* pledging that it’s ok to not be ok. For me the recognition that life can be out of our control is necessary; how we respond is what we do control, and it’s pivotal and determining.

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

But what if it requires more than that? How we choose to respond, but also: how others positively respond to us, for us. And that’s what I’m talking about when I talk about allowing others to lift us.

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

Example: In our instance, a twin stroller is on every block, an expectant family at every park. That can pierce your heart, but you can let it pierce your every day. Or a day like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, it’s even trickier.

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

Isn’t grief part and proof of humanity?

What if it’s humanity you need to open yourself up to? To allow to shepherd you through trials of grief?

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

And what if we extend that to trials of different kinds: unhealth, self doubt, self hate, addiction, intolerance, sexism, racism, ageism, xenophobia, homophobia, lack of empathy. Isn’t loss part of all those in the systemic taking away of our ourselves and what makes us human?

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

And that possibility there makes this all the more challenging. We need the humanity to get through everything but what if we need humanity to be better?

A family day where families are dealing with loss because families are torn apart is not a family day. It’s not a human day.

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

The name Amadeo means God’s Love.

May we all be open to seeing it in ourselves, may we be strong enough to receive it from others, compassionate enough to give it to others, and courageous enough to demand it from others.

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

Here* https://t.co/ceBub1Q5Ji

And Here * https://t.co/7ylqrztGZn

— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) June 17, 2018

2. This is a very good stat. 

Holy crap. Saw this on @baseballreddit and couldn't believe it was true: Mike Trout has not gone more than 2 straight games without reaching base since he became a full-time big-leaguer in 2012. https://t.co/PEHEIqJShz

— Ted Berg (@OGTedBerg) June 18, 2018

3. "DC Examiner" and NBC Washington reporter, Kelly Cohen, was covering a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Monday when she found out Capitals coach Barry Trotz, who just won a Stanley Cup, resigned. Watch her reaction in the background.

And here it is, the moment @politiCOHEN_ finds out Barry Trotz resigned pic.twitter.com/Y38VwRdkrf

— Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) June 18, 2018

4. Here's the least-surprising story of the day.

The Senators have traded Mike Hoffman to the Sharks after his girlfriend allegedly harassed Erik Karlsson’s wife online https://t.co/toPUuXQuTN

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 19, 2018

5. ESPN announced Tuesday the 16 athletes who will appear in its upcoming "Body Issue." Here is the list:

Saquon Barkley
Sue Bird
Megan Rapinoe
Tori Bowie
Lauren Chamberlain
Jessie Diggins
Crystal Dunn
Charlotte Flair
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Dallas Keuchel
Greg Norman
Yasiel Puig
Adam Rippon
Jerry Rice
Breanna Stewart
Karl-Anthony Towns

6. SI NBA writer and host of the "Open Floor" podcast, Ben Golliver, plugged the latest SI Media Podcast way better than I could.

Lee reveals his cover story process: Weeks of nugget collection followed by 10-hour overnight writing blitz w/ the mag deadline looming. Monster RT @JimmyTraina: SI MEDIA PODCAST: @SI_LeeJenkins on Kevin Durant's personality, LeBron James' Decision & more https://t.co/NAU0YMRFAn pic.twitter.com/z7m5bXZT44

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 18, 2018

You can listen to SI's Lee Jenkins talk about his writing process, Kevin Durant's different personality and LeBron James's upcoming decision below or download the SI Media Podcast on iTunes.

7. RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: With sports betting now legal in New Jersey, let's remember the time Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon took a trip to Atlantic City.

Traina Thoughts is the best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts right here. And make sure to listen to and subscribe to the SI Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina.

IN CLOSING: Think the Super Bowl is big in the U.S.? Well, 99.6 percent of homes in Iceland were tuned into their team's World Cup match on Saturday.