As I watch my boys get older, I have so many mixed feelings. I love to see their personalities emerging and their interests developing. But I can't help but get a little bit sad.
I think of the days when all they wanted out of life was love. Mom was the queen of the world and Dad was their big, brave king. They took everything we said to heart and believed every word that came out of our mouths. They trusted us to be to be their protectors, entertainers and educators. And, they wanted to be with us all the time.
But, somewhere along the line, they got older, as they all do. They realized that friends are fun and sports rule. They started playing soccer and baseball and discovered a whole new world waiting outside our front door. And it started getting harder and harder to schedule quality family time.
I got to thinking about the good old days when we spent entire weekends exploring the city and just hanging out together. Nowadays, we're lucky to get a couple of hours together. But, I realized it doesn't have to be that way. We can make it happen.
The boys don't usually have sports on Sundays so I have designated two Sundays a month as Family Days. This ended up being one of the smartest things I ever did.
The boys are so busy playing their own sports that they rarely get to see a professional game. Since the whole family loves baseball, I thought that would be a great activity. Not only is it fun for all of us, but the boys get to see first-hand how hard work can pay off. Of course, my boys both dream of being pros. They are still young and may or may not change their focus. But, in the meantime, we'll continue to support their dreams. And what better way than to take in a good old fashioned baseball game!
They were so excited. We hadn't all been to a game together in years! My boys both brought their gloves in hopes of catching a foul ball. I didn't want to burst their bubbles by telling them our seats were way at the top and there was little chance of a ball coming our way. I knew the minute we got in the stadium it wouldn't matter if we were in box seats or way up high in the outfield. It's impossible not to get swept up in the excitement no matter where you are sitting.
To help keep the outing more affordable, I brought some snacks from home. We all enjoyed fruit, nuts and little boxes of Frosted Flakes on the way to the game. And, for when we got home, a special treat awaited.
The game was great. We bonded, laughed and cheered the whole way through. No balls came anywhere close to us, but my little one kept his glove on the entire time. We were ahead the whole game, but in the top of the ninth, one of the superstars on the opposing team cleared the bases with a homerun and we ended up losing.
In the car on the way home, my husband asked if the boys had fun.
"Yeah," said the older one. "I wish we had won, but it was a good game anyway."
"It was the best day of my life," my sweet younger son replied.
I looked over at my husband and smiled.
"We did win," he said.
When we got home late that afternoon, my older son proposed a backyard baseball game.
We all went outside and tossed the ball around, laid down some bunts and the boys slid into makeshift bases. After a while, I went inside to prepare the special treat but overheard my older son talking to his dad through the open window in the kitchen.
"If I'm going to be a pro," he said. "I have a lot of work to do."
"We all have to work hard to get what we want in life," my husband said. "You just need to stay motivated, practice hard and ask for help. That's what being on a team is all about. And that goes beyond sports. Think of your family as your primary team and know that we can always work together to help each other reach our goals."
"I get it, Dad," my son said and they fist-pumped. "Can I practice pitching with you for another ten minutes?"
"Absolutely," my husband said.
By the time they came in, tired and hungry, the Banana Split Muffins were just coming out of the oven.
"Now that's what I call teamwork," my son said, taking a big bite of one of his favorite treats.
"Yup," I agreed. "We all have something to give. And no matter how busy we all get, we have to remember that Team Family is our top priority."
