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My dad & I have one father-son tradition: we always go to the Red Sox home opener. April 2 would have been our 34th Opening Day in a row had coronavirus not stopped baseball. But here's a little secret – Opening Day actually DID happen. My dad & I were there to prove it… /more
Baseball or not, I thought, “Why not have Opening Day with just the two of us?” All it would take was some peanuts, pizza, a few beers and our memories of all those years together. We could pretend about the rest … /more
I work with my dad, so with Fenway shuttered we met at our tiny office. April 2 was the cusp of strict social distancing - many had taken that difficult step with loved ones, but I'd delayed, perhaps foolishly. I knew Opening Day would have to be our last moment together… /more
Driving there I thought about how we began. My dad's friend, a bank executive, was skipping work to take his kid to Fenway & asked if we were going, too. No, my dad said - he had to haul some steel to Pittsfield. “Next year,” he thought, “Iʼm taking MY son.” And he did... /more
As the years went by we got seats closer to home plate, ate more food, found free parking. Once I caught a foul ball. Then there was the year I surprised my dad with his very own Fenway Park brick... /more
He was waiting for me at the office. I unpacked our goodies, threw a favorite photo of us at Fenway on our office computer screen, and played the national anthem. “We have amazing seats this year, Dad,” I boasted. “The best we've ever had.” … /more
We talked, as we do every year, about the ups and downs of our lives, about our memories, and our appreciation for each other. We at last finished our food and drinks. It was getting time to go, to say goodbye ... /more
“So we'll work around this. We'll just stay 10 feet apart when we're here together,” dad said. “No,” I responded. “But when I'm on a ladder I'll need you here to foot it for me,” he said. I shook my head. “In that case,” I said, “I guess you're not going up on a ladder.” …/more
He looked at me, almost in anger, but he didn't respond. He didn't have to. I can call my dad. I can go on Zoom with him. I can drive to my parents' home and talk to them from the sidewalk if need be. But for now I can't BE with him anymore, and that hurts... /more
He headed for the door, but turned. “Everything you did today was just great. It will mean even that much more to us when they really have Opening Day.” I nodded and asked him what the final score was. “6 to 4,” he said. Sox win, I asked him? “Of course,” he said. … /more
Retweet this thread for the love of baseball, and for the love of every dad out there. These things are eternal; this virus won't be @BostonGlobe @BostonGlobeMag @BostonDotCom @RedSox #COVID19 #coronavirus #RedSox #loveudad https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/03/magazine/my-dad-i-have-been-34-red-sox-opening-days-we-werent-about-stop-now/?event=event25
