I have this frequent dream of being in another country…it’s somewhere in Europe I think, and I’m having a great time. But there’s this nagging feeling that I have to get home and when I get to the hotel room, I’ve either forgotten the room number or I get there and I’m running super late and I’m stressed that I won’t make it to the airport in time.
I’ve been trying to figure out what this dream means. It’s a dream that never visited me before I had kids. I only had the school one where I can’t find my locker or class, or I didn’t do my homework. I still have that one. The travel one is newer and it makes me wonder if I’m longing to go places, but I can’t because I’m being pulled to yet another baseball tournament.
Not that I’m complaining…well, not too much.
Baseball tournaments are great, and baseball is just awesome and my kids are awesome. It’s just that I sometimes fantasize about lying in a lounge chair in my back yard for an entire day reading magazines and drinking iced tea. Or being on a beach somewhere staring at the ocean. I even fantasize about doing some gardening.
Don’t get me wrong…sitting in the hot sun all day eating snack bar food can be wonderful. And I’ve made some really good friends who I love hanging out with, but the tournament-every-weekend schedule can be a little much. And I know this is what I signed up for being a travel ball parent. Sometimes we just need some balance.
“There is something about baseball that’s just very addicting to me.”
If I could just teleport myself to the tournament without all the packing and thinking, my guess is that would be a more enjoyable experience. There’s always so much running around making sure we’re not forgetting anything and it always seems to be my responsibility. Young boys are not all that helpful, at least not mine, although they’re getting better.
Once I’m there and set up in my chair with my umbrella I can always close my eyes for a few minutes and pretend I’m at the beach, right? Just until the game starts and I’m cheering, eating sunflower seeds, and taking pictures. I really wouldn’t trade this time with my kids. It’s already gone so fast. And all of us parents have really mellowed out over the years once we gained some perspective on the low importance of each and every game. We are relaxed now and can just enjoy the ride a little more. And I realize I’m exaggerating…we don’t have a tournament EVERY weekend. It just seems like it.
Okay, so which is it? Am I venting or am I happy to be spending my life at baseball tournaments? I guess a little of both. My true love of baseball was passed down to me from my father and I’ve never let it go. There is something about baseball that’s just very addicting to me. It’s my life now and this part will be over soon, so I want to take in and enjoy every second while I can. I see the fact that my boys both play the game as a miracle, and it could be way worse. I could be at soccer tournaments every weekend. 🙂
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