No Days Off

Friday evening.

Still on “vacation.”

At least, that’s what we’re calling it.

Thursday was mostly recovery.

Late night baseball the night before meant getting the kids up and out the door was a little harder than usual.

David and Zoey were both exhausted.

But they did it.

That’s kind of the theme right now.

Tired… but still showing up.

The day itself was simple.

Errands. Cleaning. Resetting the house a bit.

And letting work just sit.

Which, if I’m being honest, felt strange.

Uncomfortable, even.

But necessary.

Only one game last night.

Late one.

Jacob’s second official game of the season.

We were home.

But the other team?

From a different county.

And from the very start…

Chaos.

There’s no better way to put it.

Missed throws. Wild pitches. Stolen bases everywhere. The kind of game where everything is happening all at once and no one really has control of it.

To the umpire’s credit, he was doing his best.

It just wasn’t an easy night.

Jacob was in the field early.

Right field again.

A little unexpected.

But just like I told him…

If he’s out there, he won’t have to look hard to find me.

I took my place along the fence.

We talked for a second.

Then he locked in.

There was a play.

Ball got past first.

From where he was, he lost it.

Couldn’t track it.

It turned into an error.

And he took that one hard.

Really hard.

For the next couple innings, no eye contact.

At first, I thought it was something I said.

It wasn’t.

He got one at-bat.

Struck out.

But not really.

The count didn’t make sense.

Somewhere between pitches, with everything going on, it jumped.

From 2–1 to 2–2 without a pitch.

Then a strike.

And just like that, he was out.

You could feel it in the stands.

Both sides.

Confusion. Frustration.

But he didn’t argue.

Didn’t break down.

He just went back to the bench.

That’s the part I’ll remember.

Not the call.

Not the chaos.

How he handled it.

The whole game was like that.

Close plays missed. Outs called when the ball was dropped. A final play at home that could’ve gone either way.

Everyone saw it differently.

Game ended 9–9.

Tie.

Felt about right.

On the way home, we talked.

He wasn’t upset with me.

He wasn’t frustrated at anything I had said or done.

He felt like he had messed up.

And the best way he knew how to handle it…

Was to lock in.

To stay focused.

And he did.

Every pitch.

Every swing.

Every play.

He was ready.

The most serious I’ve ever seen him about anything.

Looking back now?

That wasn’t a bad moment.

That was a proud one.

An incredibly proud one.

Because seeing that level of focus at his age…

That’s something.

It’s incredible.

And yeah, a little scary in a good way.

And afterward?

They crashed.

Fast asleep before we even made it through the night.

Today came early.

Field day for David and Zoey.

Errands for me.

Tried to nap.

Didn’t really work.

Still tired.

Still moving.

Sometime in the late morning, I asked Jacob again today.

Just to be sure.

“Are you still having fun?”

Big smile.

No hesitation.

“I love it.”

That moment?

That made it all worth it.

And now it’s Friday night.

Tonight is simple.

Family.

Relaxation.

Watching the weather roll through.

Maybe getting outside to set up a little training space for the boys in the yard.

Maybe not.

We’ll see.

This weekend will be about catching up.

Sleep.

Reset.

Getting ready to step back into work, school, and everything else next week.

Not every moment is clean. Not every game is fair. Not every day gives you the outcome you think it should. But there’s something to be said for how you respond when things don’t go your way. Not frustration. Not blame. Just focus. Just effort. That’s where growth happens. That’s where you see who someone is becoming.

This is a grounded moment where how you respond matters more than what happens.

Much love. Stay safe. Wash your damn hands. I’ll see you Monday.