October 2

Sometimes it's hard to be a sports fan. (And believe me, I know. I grew up rooting for the Orioles.) Isaac got a hearty dose of baseball-induced agony after the A's lost tonight's Wild Card game to the Rays. Although I didn't like to see him sad (and, as per his norm, a wee bit hostile), I did like this:

When he hugged me good-night after the final out was recorded, I held on a little bit longer. I told him that it was okay; that though he loves baseball and loves the A's, only one team can win it all each year. And that they'd get to start over again in the Spring. And that, as a baseball fan, it's supposed to be fun.

Of course, given that Isaac is a player who's been on more than one team that's struggled to get it together on the diamond, he knows those things. But as I've noted before, repetition of truth doesn't hurt. And it's a blessing to me to be able to offer up comfort to others. And though I'm bummed that he's bummed, I'm grateful I had the opportunity to do that tonight.