For those of you who know I am currently in New York umpiring a national championship tournament for baseball. As excited as I am to be on this trip I can't help but have a small rain cloud over my head. Three weeks from now I will be leaving for California to start medical school and that journey will be made without my family.
As we pulled up to the departing flights section of the airport I kept thinking to myself, let's go, just keep driving and we'll go back home. But instead I got out of the car and started unloading my bags. As I leaned in to give my sweet little boy a goodbye kiss, his face was covered in cheddar Pringles. He had a great big grin on his face.
I had to leave this little boy. After saying goodbye to him it was mama's turn.
My second heartbreak.
I already knew the card would be filled with her sweet little handwriting telling me how much she loved me and would miss me.
Finally I checked my bags in and headed for security. Everything seemed to be dull until I walked up to my gate and met the other umpire that was traveling with me. He was standing talking to a coach from one of the teams that was making the trip to New York as well. We boarded the plane and found ourselves sitting in the middle of the plane. I had the aisle seat of course because of how much I get up to go to the bathroom. As I sat down I chuckled to myself because the umpire I was traveling with was sitting in the window seat and in between us was one of the twelve year old boys from one of the teams heading to the tournament.
Right across the aisle from me was a couple with their infant baby who was flying for the first time. Immediately memories of our #Godfrey'sGoEast trip flooded back to me. I smiled and watched as they got ready for this big adventure they were about to embark on.
In the row right in front of them was a mother with her two rowdy toddler boys. I could already see the looks of horror and dismay on her face as her boys refused to sit down and continued to jump up and down. A year ago I might have had the same look on my face as so many others did. That look of "why would you bring these two on a plane going clear across the country?" But not now. I could only look at her and feel bad that she was doing this trip all by herself and that others around her had no desire to cut her any slack. I quickly tried to make her feel a little relief by talking to her and making it clear that her boys didn't bother me one bit. As we taxied to the runway I saw her slowly pull out a bottle of Benadryl and a dropper. I laughed to myself and thought "this definitely is not her first rodeo with these boys."
After takeoff I put my headphones on and dozed off to the sound of the Eagles "Desperado". About an hour or so into the flight I woke up just in time for them to pass drinks out. As I finished my drink I looked over to the mom with her toddlers and could tell she was looking for a flight attendant or somebody. I got the feeling that I should say something to her. So I took off my headphones and asked her the age of her boys. After talking for a few minutes she asked me if I would mind sitting with her boys while she ran to the bathroom. I could tell that was what she was looking for a flight attendant for so I thought sure why not. After about a minute or so the younger of the two turned and looked at me curiously and said "mom?" I told him that she had gone to the bathroom and would be back in a few minutes and had asked me to sit with them. He immediately took off his headphones and started showing me all his lego toys he had with him. For the next couple minutes he showed me his legos and what was so cool about them. When their mom did finally return from the bathroom I took my seat. As she turned and said thank you I could see the sincere gratitude on her face. That made it more than worth it in my eyes.
The rest of the flight was rather uneventful and by the time we landed in New York I had finally relaxed and was ready for the long week of baseball that awaited me.
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