Gifts from Dad
There are two things that I still own and use that my dad got for me thirty years ago. They are items that have little inherent relationship to one another, but that embody what I appreciate most about him. My Rawlings baseball glove is one of them. The other day, when I was out pitching to my oldest son Benjamin, i let myself just feel the glove again. I put it to my face and breathed in and it brought back the days of playing catch with Dad in the yard, of the years that he spent driving me to practices and coaching my teams. It reminded me of the way he took time to nurture my appreciation for this game through trips to spring training in Vero Beach and the stories that he told about listening to the Cardinals play on the radio. I remember the pride I felt in looking at the newspaper clippings from when he played ball. This glove has the characteristic of all good gloves and my relationship with my dad. It is well-broken in, it wears like it was made for me, having adjusted to years...