I want to introduce you to this man, Todd. He is the father of my two daughters, Emily and Ellen, and he is a DIE HARD CUBS FAN. Seriously, a card-carrying member since 1967. His father Mike, has been a Cubs fan even longer. Todd, his father, brother, and others make the trek to see the Cubs in spring training in AZ every year. It is an annual event. He flies the Cubs flag outside his home before every game, for as long as I can remember. He goes to Wrigleyville several times a year to see them play at home, and he'll catch them in Cincinnati when the Reds play them, too. He even goes to some of the farm club games for the Cubs. This man lives and breathes Cubs baseball, and I love it.
When we were married, we also went to Chicago several times a season to watch the Cubs play at home. We had our traditions, too, like stopping at Nuts on Clark before the game to buy sunflower seeds and mustard pretzels, and eating dinner at Harry Caray's after the game- win or lose. Those were happy times. Chicago has always been my favorite US city, as it was my backyard playground growing up in northern Indiana.
The summer of 1990, I was big, fat, and pregnant with our first born, Emily Tess, and we were in Chicago to see the Cubs. I am sorry I don't have the photos with me here in China to show you. I was so swollen that weekend at the ball games, and walking along Michigan Avenue. I wasn't due until September 5th, and it was only the 24th of July. Just a few days later, though, I was hospitalized with preeclampsia and very high blood pressure- no wonder I had a headache at the game. We listened to the Cubs on the radio in the hospital. Then, on the 29th of July, Miss Emily was born at 4 lbs 11 oz., and nearly six weeks early. Todd held a cubby bear while I had an emergency Csection. Emily was perfect, perfectly healthy, and it was a moment I will never forget.
Last year was another heart breaker for the Cubs and Cubs fans all around the world. We were all holding on to the hope that maybe there was an element of truth to Marty McFly's prediction in 1989 in Back to the Future II. Again, it wasn't meant to be. However, we had a young team, a strong team, and CUBS fans NEVER lose hope. Maybe next year.
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| Fast forward to today. I donned my Cubs hat, and went to work. I had no classes the first three periods, and neither did my friend, Carlos. He's a true blue Yankees fan, but he loves the game of baseball. Period. He bought a special MLB package just so we could watch Game 7 of the World Series on his iPad. At times the VPN would die, we'd lose our connection, and we'd be crowded around my desk watching the game on his wee iPhone. It didn't matter- we weren't going to miss a single play!!! |
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| My daughter, Emily, posted this pic- she was watching! |
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| And her sister, Ellen changed her FB profile for the occasion. |
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| By some Chinese miracle, (and perhaps with the help of some bootleg Russian mafia software, lol) my friend, Kevin, who hails from Indiana, too, was watching the game on the big smart board screen in his science classroom! |
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| Time to move the party! |
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| The game extended in to our fourth period classes, so we all left notes in our classrooms for our students to come to room 505- history was in the making! We totally turned the World Series into a teachable moment for our Chinese babies- they got lessons from their Human Geography teacher, Media & Literacy teacher, Drama teacher, Physics teacher, Psychology teacher, Art teacher and PE teacher....we covered ALL THE BASES!!! |
When it went into a rain delay and then an extra inning, it cut into our lunch hour. More teachers and Chinese babies filled the room as the word was out....history was, indeed, in the making!!! We rallied and taught the kids to turn their hats around, to pop their collars, loosen their ties- today just had to be the day....the day the CUBS losing streak was broken for good.
It had been 108 LONG YEARS, and then THIS
happened- yes, that is me you hear squealing!
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| We then included a music lesson and everybody sang GO CUBS GO, as they do at the end of every game :))) |
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| Amidst the madness and celebration, 12k miles away, I couldn't help but think of my girl's father... I just had to send him a text. It was after this exchange that he texted me the photo at the beginning of this post- of him standing outside of his home in Indiana, in front of the W flag, well after midnight his time. It made me smile all over :))) |
Wow. So surreal. I am incredibly proud to be a Chicago Cubs fan. I always joked that I was "born into it" and "didn't have a choice" but I am so happy my dad taught me about baseball at a young age and made sure I had every opportunity to see the Cubs play. Enjoy the win Dad. You've waited a long time. #WorldChampions #GoCubsGo
I am so proud of our daughters, Todd. We have both worked hard to be good parents, but this day belongs all to you.
Congratulations, Todd, Fly the W!!!
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