My first professional baseball game included the view of the green monsterand the Citgo sign. I've taken the T to Kenmore and walked to the park. I've eaten the Fenway dog and even bought a jersey. I love the Red Sox. I was lucky enough to move back to New England and share my Red Sox with Keith and Ian and Lucy.
I don't know whether Mikey ever got to experience Fenway or not. We moved when he was 5 months old, so either way, he doesn't remember it. But he has a ball hit by Big Pappy in the coliseum in Oakland.
Keith and I even spent our 15th anniversary at an A's / Red Sox game a few years ago, much to the surprise of his coworkers who thought he was nuts to buy sports tickets for his wife on a special occasion.
As I watched the legendary closer Jonathan Papelbon end the game tonight, all I could think about was how Ian would be commentating the game sitting next to me. He loved Papelbon. And Lester. And Wakefield. And Beckett. And Schilling. And oh yeah Pedro Martinez. Just to name the pitchers. Then there's all the others. He knew them all--and everything about them.
I got that pit in my stomach. I was thinking "What will I do when they are all gone?" When all the players we watched together are gone I won't be able to feel like he's right there with me when I watch. Those players are still connecting us. When I watch them, I see my son smiling. I see him excited. I see him engaged in something he loved. I'm so proud that we shared the Red Sox. It's so silly, but for a mom, I'm so glad he loved my team. He wanted to play sports so bad. I'm glad we shared sports really the only way his body would allow.
I was glad last year when the Sox didn't make the post season. I didn't want to see them. It hurt too much. But, this year, they give me the connection I need. I hope they can win tomorrow and clinch the wild card.
1 comment:
go Red Sox!!!
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