The famous song that signals that summer is here.  One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to go to a baseball game.   I love going on a summer day or night and just being outside, smelling the fresh cut grass, seeing fans with their baseball gloves, and smelling that wonderful aroma of hot dogs and onions cooking.   It is an experience that I enjoy more and more as the years go on.

My hometown team is the Detroit Tigers, but I have never really been a fan.   I don’t hate the Tigers, I just do not root for them, which I am looked at with hateful eyes for at least 6 months out of the year.   My team is the Cubs.   Yes, my lovable, haven’t won a World Series in 100 years, Cubs.   Before they had lights at Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs, they had to play all day games at home.   They used to be on every day when I got home from school and every day they were on, I would watch them.   It was awesome.   It didn’t matter if they were in first (not many times) or last (more often than not), I love them unconditionally and you have to.   I mean, 100 years without a title.   Long time.

My Dad took me to my first baseball game when I was 8 in 1983.   The Tigers defeated the Texas Rangers that day, but I couldn’t tell you the final score.   I fell asleep in the second inning.   Years later, I thought that game was played indoors.   Shows you how much I remember from that game.   But my first Cubs game I will always remember.   I was 10 and my Dad and I flew to Chicago which is only a 30 minute flight from Detroit, but was the first time I had ever been on a plane.   I was scared to go on that plane but I would do it for the Cubs.   They played the San Francisco Giants that day and they got pounded.   They lost 12-2.   But I didn’t care I was seeing the Cubs with my Dad and it was awesome, although I was still scared of that plane ride home.

Going to the Cubs game was one of the things that my Dad and I enjoyed just the two of us together.   It was a special time, and obviously one I will never forget.   When you have that unconditional love for someone or something it doesn’t matter win or lose, you go that extra mile for them, just like my Dad did for me that day in arranging our Chicago trip. Going that extra mile to show someone you love them can make their day or even week and often times it takes such little effort and time.

So my question to you is: What is your “ball game” experience to show someone your unconditional love today?

Always a friend to listen,

Eric Tomei-author I Miss My Dad…

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Tags: grief, hope