A little bit of gold

Charlie’s baseball team – and therefore Charlie – won yesterday with a game-winning walk with the bases loaded.

Final score 8-7.

Charlie walked twice, scored twice, and hit the cutoff man with a throw from the outfield.

All of this might not seem like much except that Charlie last won a baseball game in May of 2021. His spring 2021 team lost their final two games of the regular season plus their playoff game.

Then his fall 2021 baseball team lost every single game. An entire season without a win.

Despite failing to win a game, his team still made the playoffs because there were only four teams in the league. My fifth grade student, playing for the opponent, pitched a no-hitter against Charlie’s team, adding insult to injury. The only saving grace was that Charlie walked in that game and ultimately stole home for the only run in the game,

This season – spring 2022 – Charlie’s team opened the season with six consecutive losses, making Charlie 0-25 in the last 25 baseball games.

Winning yesterday was huge.

Sadly, Elysha missed this momentous occasion. She’s away this weekend at Smith College, celebrating her reunion with friends.

Her last two texts to me last night before bed were:

“Been dancing our butts off.”

“We shut down the dance floor.”

So she’s just fine.

I actually think Charlie learned a lot by losing every game last fall. Rebounding after an endless string of losses isn’t easy. Maintaining your sportsmanship in the face of overwhelming defeat is hard. Returning to the diamond again and again with a positive attitude after failing to win even a single game can be build character.  Charlie managed to master all of those things last year.

But this year? Again? Did he really need to learn those lessons a second time? After six straight losses, it was getting to be a bit much. Another winless season didn’t feel fair.

Even if his team only win one game this year, one is a hell of a lot better than none.

As the runner crossed home following the walk to secure their victory, I actually had tears in my eyes. It was just another regular season game in a seemingly endless season of regular season games, but Charlie deserved to win. The handful of kids who have also gone 0-25 alongside him also deserved to win.

They did it by the skin of their teeth, with a walk-off win, but a victory is a victory.

I was so happy for him.

So happy for me.

As a father, I have no interest in paving my children’s roads with gold. I hope for potholes and detours along the way. Lots of hardscrabble and bumps. Nothing too hard or too painful, but a less than smooth ride, too. As a teacher, I’ve watched some parents pave their children’s roads with gold and witnessed the results firsthand.

It’s not pretty. I suspect that it’s not pretty for a long, long time.

I often tell kids (and adults) that it’s the bumps in the road that often bounce us into the light.

As someone who had his own share of struggles, I know that I move through life with greater confidence, positivity, relentlessness, and enthusiasm because of the things I’ve been forced to overcome throughout my life. I would not wish my particular struggles on anyone, but a winless baseball season?

Those seemingly unending losses might produce better results over the course of Charlie’s life than a championship.

But as one who knows what it’s like to struggle for an incredibly long time without even a ray of hope, I also know that a few victories along the way are important, too.

As a father, I want my children to enjoy some smoothly paved roads, too. The occasional downhill glide. Maybe even a little bit of gold.

Yesterday Charlie found a little bit of gold. He was so happy. He could barely contain his excitement. And it was earned. More than a year of hardscrabble had yielded a precious, unforgettable, joyous day in the sun.

I hope he has a few more before this baseball season comes to a close.