Life of a Baseball Mom

We all wear different hats. Here are a few of mine ... Wife, mother, daughter, teacher, VP. Yes, it's true. Writer, wannabe blogger, drama queen, oops ... I mean drama director, taxi cab driver for my children, cook, etc ... I'm sure you wear just as many. One of my biggest hats─baseball mom. If you know me at all, you know how much I love baseball.

We've spent many years on the field. Almost 20.

My oldest son, Tyler, started playing ball as soon as he was old enough. I enjoyed those years of watching him play all the way through high school. And I thought if my middle baby boy, Zachary, doesn't love it, I just might get depressed. But he did. And I easily forgot about the stress of the game. And the ugly torment that sometimes comes anyway. It could be from one game to the next, or even a whole season.

My husband uses this phrase for baseball, "you're only as good as the last thing you do" (in other's eyes). Thank goodness, Jesus doesn't look at us that way. And maybe people don't either. Maybe it's just something we worry endlessly about for no reason.

But we do.

It sometimes feels like being on a roller coaster with this thing that takes a huge part of our family's time. Is it worth it? I think so. Our family has made some wonderful memories through it all.

I don't like to brag.

But I'm going to today.

Because my baby was in the local paper Wednesday morning.

We've been homeschooling for 7 years and this is his first year at a public high school.

Am I happy about this?

I'm not sure.

I have to put him in God's hands and trust that he will allow the Holy Spirit to guide him in ALL the choices he makes.

And there's a lot of praying. And a lot of worrying. But I keep telling myself fear is not from the Lord.

The butterflies flitting around in my stomach all day Wednesday were a testament to the nerves that threatened to overtake me leading up to this game. I found out last week, he would be starting ... "The First Conference Game".

Do I have faith in his pitching?

Yes.

Has he done this before? Plenty of times

He played in the Varsity Home School World Series the last two years, and this past year, Zach received All American, for best games pitched.

Did this help my nerves?

Not really.

Friends, family, kids he's played ball with for years are at the games now, where before, we were always out of town.

But at the same time, I'm glad to be back with friends and seeing some of the same faces on the ball field again.

Zach has never liked being in front of people for school plays, church musicals, and I had a very hard time convincing him to participate. But when he takes the mound, even from the very beginning, at the age of 7 or 8, I can't remember exactly, I'm shocked at the confidence shining through him. And ya'll, I can't help it, it makes me proud, every single time. That's my baby standing up there.

And he was good at it even from the very beginning.

 "His picture in the RM Telegram. This is the face of a boy putting everything he's got into it. And I love it!!"

I have to share this story with you. I'm really going to try not to be long winded, but this may be my longest post yet.

At a company picnic, 4 years ago, when Zach was 11 ... There was a dunking booth. It cost 5 dollars for 3 balls and all the money was put in a pot for a drawing. Your name went into the drawing every time you hit the bulls eye. The winner would win the money.

Y'all it was not easy.

I tried it. And so did Rocky.

Out of 9 balls, Zach hit the bulls eye 5 times. And the president of the company was sitting in the booth. :)

At the end of the picnic, they drew the winner. Zach won.

A total of $500.00, y'all.

He took us to Olive Garden for dinner. :)

I want him to do well. I want him to succeed. But most of all, I pray that whatever he does, he'll do it as if he's doing it for Jesus.

I am one proud mama, today. Thank you for letting me share all of this with you. And don't be surprised if you find a dose of baseball in my fiction. 

I'm so happy you joined me today. 

Have a wonderful Friday,

Cindy