Overwhelmed

This post also appeared on www.capecodonline.com/blogs in the opinion section of the Cape Cod Times, a division of Ottaway Newspapers, Inc.

Wow.

It all hit me just now. I know it’s been almost five days since my son was born, but it all happened so fast we didn’t have time to think about anything. All of a sudden we had a son and that was that. It was time to take care of him. There were no hours of waiting and wondering, imagining what life would be like with a child. Will simply came rocketing into the world at warp speed. And ever since I just had to keep adjusting and taking care of him, never really giving too much thought to what it all meant.

Today I dressed him in his Red Sox gear and got a little teary-eyed. Then I held him in the living room as the ring ceremony started. With each moment I got a little more emotional. When they unfurled the banners on the Green Monster it was a little dusty in the room. When Papi, Manny, Papelbon and the gang got their rings, I definitely had something in my eye. When Johnny Pesky appeared I had to wipe my face. But then they brought out the “special guest” to throw out the first pitch.

“Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls…Mr. Bill Buckner.”

That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Bill Buckner and the ’86 Red Sox. I was 7 years old for that infamous World Series against the Mets. I don’t remember too much about it, but I do remember it being the first time I saw my father cry. I remember Marty Barrett made the final out and hating him for making my Dad so sad. I didn’t understand the Red Sox then, only that my father looked like he wanted to jump off a bridge. It wasn’t too long after that I started to understand why he was so sad that day.

And now, 22 years later, I was holding my own son with tears in my eyes as Bill Buckner again appeared on the screen. Talk about full circle. This is one of the best days of my life.