Last Monday I woke up my son, Rob, at 5:45AM and told him to get dressed. We had a plane to catch and three Colorado Rockies games to go to in Denver. It was a surprise trip for him and one that I was just as excited about. He shot out of bed, got dressed and we headed to the airport for a special adventure together.
We saw three good ballgames against the Dodgers, with the Rox taking two out of three, but even better was the fun we had together. We went early to park every day to catch batting practice. We ate lunch in the recliners at the ESPN Zone. Rob got a “home run” ball during BP and also got some autographs from a couple of his favorite players: Yorvit Torrealba and Clint Barmes. We ate hot dogs, bought new hats, sat in the sun, spit sunflower seeds and just had about a good a time as a father and son could have together.
Rob and I both love baseball, but the best part of the whole thing was just enjoying my son and his excitement and wonder at being around some of his heroes. I remember being his age and seeing Roberto Clemente play in person and just being in awe. More than that, though, was the feeling I had just being at the ballpark with my dad. He wasn’t around much, especially later, but when I think of the good times that day at Three Rivers Stadium comes to mind.
I want to give my son every opportunity to be with his dad, doing things that we love together. If you’re a dad and haven’t taken the opportunity to give your boy (or girl) some intentional time, doing something you both enjoy, don’t wait. You’ll be blessed and you’ll give him or her a memory that transcends time and space.
