Finding joy with a baseball and a couple of gloves

My favorite movie scene of all-time is in the movie Field of Dreams. I’m not much of a “cryer”, but I have been known to get all choked up over a really emotional commercial now and then. But when it comes to a true tear-jerking and powerful moment while watching television, I literally find myself choking back tears when Kevin Costner’s character says to dad, “Dad. Want to have a catch?”

I found out this past weekend that those moments can transcend time and elevate themselves to the height of making lasting memories.

My 13-year-old son Patrick plays for a 13U traveling baseball team, the Southwest Missouri Rough Riders. This is his first season to do this type of competitive baseball, but it took no time at all for him to form lifelong friends. Friends that share a common bond of our National Pastime, as well as the enjoyment of an occasional disgusting sound or smell. I get a lot of enjoyment just watching him interact with these guys on a weekly basis.
Without sounding like the touting father that I really am, Patrick had the weekend of a lifetime in Tulsa last Saturday and Sunday. My wife and I figured out that he would have hit for the cycle (a single, double, triple and homerun) if he could have added just one triple. His weekend included a mammoth 315-foot towering homerun blast and a two-out game-winning double to get the Rough Riders to the championship game. So yeah, he had a good weekend.
And I could go on and on about his play, but I will spare you any more details and do my best to keep from puffing up too much.

But it was none of these personal accolades that won the top prize for my favorite moment of the tournament weekend. Although I lost my voice cheering for him and his teammates, and went absolutely berserk a few times, those moments couldn’t even come close to the 15-minutes that rank at the top for this proud dad.

As we waited to play our semi-final game, Patrick had around 30-minutes before he and his teammates were to begin warming up and hitting some soft-toss in the batting and warm-up area. And here is where it got fun; my son looked my way and said, “Dad. Want to have a catch?”
Never had a better feeling well up in my throat, as he and I donned our gloves and spent 15-minutes of quality time. We talked, we laughed, and we tried to throw a knuckle-ball.

You see, there is a lesson to be learned here for all parents. As good as the times are watching our sons and daughters excel in their given interests, whether it be athletics, academics, music, or dance, the most important and touching times come when we engage ourselves into the middle of these talents.

So go be the proud parent as your children enjoy the gifts God has given them. But remember, what they really want is you. Your time; your love; your showing your pride in them; and sometimes, all of that comes in that simple little question, “Want to have a catch”.