Take me out to the ball game...

 

Spring is in the air... The bird are chirping loudly outside my window, the brilliant blooms are everywhere around me, and the sun is shining his warm rays down. It has been a long time coming! But the greatest thing about spring? Every night of the week I get to hear the bats cracking in the ball field, the fans cheering in the stands and umpires yelling out the calls. I relax in my chair and watch all of these kids,whom I have grown to love dearly over the years, play. I spurge on a hot dog or two, and a bag of peanuts with my large coca-cola... I bite my nails as I see my child take several deep breaths to calm his nerves. My heart sinks when I see him allow a ball to get by and leaps when he makes an out. Many times I feel sick with nerves when he is up to bat, and jumping up high in the air when he gets a hit.

I try real hard not to be one of "those parents". It is an effort for me not to cheer loudly and obnoxiously for the children. If I could I would run the bases with them, and be out celebrating with them when they ran home. Although I do know what people whisper about "those parents". "Its just little league after all", or , "She needs to chill out"... And I don't want whispering, or rolling of the eyes behind my back. But my thrill for them is not because I think they are going to the big leagues, but more so because I know they are happy. And most of parenting is about raising happy children, right?

My children are not the best on the team, nor are they the worst. But they have that love for the game that keeps them coming back, year after year. And for that I am grateful, because it is the highlight of this season. And when people look at me with pity when they hear that our family plays 6 games in 5 days for 6 weeks, I can only say "There is no other place I would rather be". (Except possibly, the football stands)