May 4, 2004

• Baseball Family Therapy

  This is my granddaughter posing for her baseball team photo. Her dad, my son, was a jock since he discovered at an early age that it was a way to make friends and also that he loved sports. He has been hoping to be a sports dad, but his first child turned out to be an artist, so he turned to his second child and she obliged. As an observer, my impression is that she’s doing it mostly to please him but that she also kind of enjoys it. I sure don’t see the passion for it that he had when he was her age. But here’s the really fascinating thing. Her parents were married and divorced, not just once but twice – once for each child. This was of course devastating, not just for them and the children, but for all members of this rather large extended family, me included. I still grieve to some extent at this loss. But both parents have moved on to new stable relationships and both deeply love these two children, so the kids spend time each week with both parents separately, and also with me (every Saturday for the past 10 years until just recently). For the first time since the last divorce, the family that was shattered has come together – at the baseball field. Grandmothers, stepgrandfathers, fathers, mothers, girlfriend, new husband, cousins, and of course both these children. We sit side by side and talk to each other and something begins to heal. I sit in the sun there and wonder how many other family dramas are playing themselves out at baseball family therapy out of love for a child. And I am happy.
  Deep Thought:There’s always been a good explanation for everything. When that owl attacked Grandma and started biting her head, at first it didn’t make any sense. Why would an owl attack Grandma? But then we found out later: a mouse was living in her hairdo.
  Today I am grateful for: Not having seen any owls in my neighborhood

  • 8:21 am
  • 10 Comments