Every year, the Bear has been home with me on April’s 1st Monday. Didn’t matter if she was enrolled in a daycare that we were paying for and it doesn’t matter now that she is in kindergarten The 1st Monday in April is a special day, far too special for school.
We don’t have an excess of traditions – Christmas Day, or more specifically the way we “do” Christmas, that’s the big one. Opening Day of baseball isn’t too far behind. The sun, the fresh cut grass, the red, white & blue bunting, the crack of the bat, the smack of the ball arriving in the catcher’s mitt. Whether it’s raining in Southeastern PA or not, the 1st Monday of April is always glorious ’cause it’s bound to be sunny somewhere baseball is being played.
We love baseball! Can't ya tell?
With games on TV starting just after noon, I’ll have the grill fired up in late-AM, with burgers and hot dogs ready to go shortly thereafter. The Bear, Mouse and I will sit down to a summertime feast while we feast our eyes on the most nuanced and beautiful game in all of sports. Doesn’t even matter who is playing really, because it’s not about the games themselves. Baseball Opening Day (which should be a National Holiday) ushers in the most magnificent of seasons – Spring; the warm weather, the chirping of the birds and the arrival of the ducks & geese in the little stream next to our house. It’s about renewal, a fresh start, the opening of windows and the fresh air and it’s about as splendid a moment as there is throughout the calendar year. To spend this moment inside a classroom doesn’t feel right at all.
Of course, it helps that our hometown club is now a powerhouse and a perennial favorite to win the World Series. But even when the Fightin’ Phils stunk, and they did for a very looong time, opening day still sent shivers up my spine. It’s why the Bear and Mouse will never once step foot in school on the 1st Monday of April. We will always be home together, playing outside and watching the glory that is day baseball.
I was moved recently after reading this Philadelphia Phillies “season preview”, written by my good buddy Bryan Sargent. I know no bigger fan of the game of ball, but this preview stretches well off the field. Game 6 of the 2009 World Series not only ushered in the baseball offseason, it’s also the day Byran’s life was forever altered. He sums up his tragic winter, as well as his undying love of the game and his team, beautifully in his blog post. If you love baseball, or love your Mom and/or Dad, it’s an article well worth your time.
Play Ball!
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