Baseball...it is such a wonderful sign of spring!! I grew up watching and playing many sports with my brothers, my father, my uncles, my grandfather's, and cousins. Of course I did the most with my dad and brother's. We played sports outside, inside, with nerf balls, with hard balls, even with balloons!!! Four-square, football, basketball, tennis, soccer, figure skating, badmitton, and of course...baseball! I grew up loving the NY Yankees. In fact I still love the Yankees (though I will cheer the Red Sox on as well, unless they're playing the Yankees). GASP!!
My dad loved baseball. Loved to play, loved to watch it on t.v., and loved to watch his boys play. He didn't love umping his boys' games as much, though... oh those fans were awful!!! He passed on the love of the game to his two son's. I remember them getting so excited for little league. They would get their batting gloves, they would play hours of wiffle ball, and they would call the games as we would watch them on t.v. I distinctly remember laying on the floor, watching a game with Josh and we would try to call the pitch before the ump. Then their was the morning ritual of the sports page. NO JOKE...my brothers read this like their Bible!! They memorized the stats and they could tell you anything you needed/wanted to know about the current season...and how that differed from the season before...and what that would mean for the season ahead!! Of course, we all had our own binders FULL of baseball cards...and we would take them with us everywhere, because you never knew when it would be a good time to make a trade. I loved my Don Mattingly, Ricky Henderson, Ryan Sandberg (who I was in love with), and Greg Maddux..there were others (my memory of who was who is not quite like my brothers). Anyway...they really loved baseball!
Well, I am a mom of 3 boys...and so baseball is something that is often played and talked about and watched. I think one of the first songs my parent's taught Nicholas was "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"!! Nicholas is already an amazing player. He hits well and is really coming to understand the game this year. Luke has grown immensely over the past year. Last year it was the painful 323 pitches before he would finally 'hit' the ball. This year...he can connect quite often. He loves to run the bases...of course the bases are wherever he is running at the time. He loves to catch! He got his own glove for his birthday and he LOVES to crouch down with it and be the catcher (just like his Aunti Abi).
My dad got to take Nick to a baseball game while Chris was in Haiti! I must tell you it was one of those special moments...for my dad AND for Nick. Big smiles and baseball stories Nick had to share when he got back. Oh how it blessed my heart to see my dad sharing with my son just as he did with my brother's.
Well, for the past week my boy's have been doing something that I KNOW will make their grandpa and uncles proud. And, again, seeing this connection passed on to my boys warms my heart in an inexplainable way. Anyway, they now like to see if the Red Sox are on the radio at night (who else would be on Maine's radio). And if they are...that is what they listen to as they drift off to sleep! PRECIOUS!!
You know, I do believe God gives gifts in many ways. Take baseball...a game that many play and many watch. A game, however, that holds an amazing connection that I see and that, yes, I hold very dear. For in this game I have experienced another piece of what it can mean to be FAMILY!!! Thank you, Lord!
P.S. Baseball glove: $15.00 Single game Right Field Box Ticket to Red Sox game: $50.00
3-year old Luke falling asleep to Red Sox on radio with baseball glove on hand: PRICELESS!
Grandpa, Uncle Josh and Uncle Dan...you have passed on much more than a game!
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