Don’t Stop Celebrating
Speaking of cars running into coffee shops, yesterday's post instantly took me back to the hours and days immediately following the second car crash incident in May. There were so many emotions flowing through me during that time. On the one hand, I was celebrating how amazing Northern Vessel was doing, but on the other hand, mourning the crash. On the one hand, I was excited to be showing my kids around the great city of Chicago, but on the other, stressed out of my mind by all that was happening.
In the midst of that, I wrote a piece titled Can't Have the Good Without the Bad. It was a cathartic piece about pain, survival, and perseverance. More than anything, it was my attempt to process the myriad of emotions I was experiencing.
Later that day, I received an encouraging text from my friend John, offering his support, love, and encouragement. He ended his text with this: "P.S. - and in the midst of all of this at the coffee shop, don't let this bump in the road keep you from celebrating and retelling your memories and stories from Chicago specifically today, tomorrow, this coming next week. Lean into that and intentionally continue the Chicago memory building this coming week."
The truth is, I did let the crash keep me from celebrating and retelling my memories from that Chicago week. Shame on me! I've thought a lot about that text and ultimately landed here: better late than never!
So today, my friends, I want to share a quick story. I had the honor of taking my boys to their first-ever Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field. They are the same age I experienced my first Cubs game (and I'd go on to visit Wrigley Field at least once per year for the next 23 years). I even booked tickets in the same general area where we sat during my first Cubs experience way back in the late '80s. As we were casually shopping for souvenirs, one particular item caught Pax's attention. It was a little wooden bat, painted in a glossy Cubby blue. He instantly fell in love. After we pulled the trigger and were walking into the stadium with new bat in hand, I revealed to him that my souvenir for my first Cubs game was a little blue wooden bat!
Everything about that night was magical. I really can't even explain how much fun all four of us had. To top it off, we got to experience extra innings under the stars. As the Cubs stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning, my gut told me to pull out my camera to record. I'm usually the guy who would much rather soak in the moment than pull the camera out, but this one felt different. In hindsight, I'm so glad I did. I'll never forget this moment, and it's fun I get to show it to you today. Enjoy!
Oh yeah, don't stop celebrating. In the midst of all the bumps in the road, don't forget to celebrate. Wise words from John. Thank you, John!
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