Full recovery for Carew at top of wish list

Few times of the year are as busy as this one. We’re all in a hurry, it seems, and too often we turn minor tasks into what we perceive as Herculean feats, while no annoyance feels trivial.

Every red light, every long line at a checkout counter can seem like the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Yeah, right.

• Carew’s transplant surgery successful

Let’s all buy a clue and be thankful for what we have, especially when that list includes our health. Let’s also be thankful for the advances in science we’ve seen in our lifetime, and the dedicated surgeons and nurses who are there when we need them.

Rod Carew, an international treasure who ranks as one of the greatest living hitters, underwent 13 hours of surgery Friday. Doctors gave the 71-year-old Hall of Famer a heart and kidney transplant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and there’s hope he will make a full recovery.

That would be just about the best holiday gift the baseball world could get.

Carew’s courageous wife, Rhonda, and the rest of his family have stood behind him since he suffered a disabling heart attack in September 2015, eventually pinning his survival on a heart transplant. He wasn’t around ballparks as much as usual last season, and it would be so great to see him at Target Field next April, throwing out a pitch on Opening Day for his beloved Twins.

Rod Carew underwent successful heart/kidney transplants Friday. Best wishes from your Hall of Fame family, Rod! #heartof29 pic.twitter.com/UYG7Rqp7fW

— Baseball Hall ��� (@baseballhall) December 16, 2016

Rod Carew underwent successful heart/kidney transplants Friday. Best wishes from your Hall of Fame family, Rod! #heartof29 pic.twitter.com/UYG7Rqp7fW

In 19 seasons …

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