This morning, my Lyft driver had on a 90’s station. Painfully, I had to listen to Bon Jovi sing about how “you give love a bad name.” And it was bad. Thankfully, the song changed and we broke out the “S’s” and did a little “Safety Dance.” What 80’s kid doesn’t remember that Men Without Hats silly classic? After I screamed at my driver to put his damn hands back on the wheel (not really,) my mood shifted for the better.
Much that I spend a ton of time these days feeling fearful and anxious about COVID-19, the election, and 50 other things, I’ve also got a ton of things to be grateful for. We’re getting all the family time that we want. And our family life is solid. KD and I caught every second of the Lakers march through the playoffs, and now it’s on to the Dodgers. He and my wife are diehard Giants fans, but they’re supporting me and hoping for a Dodgers victory (even if my wife is crossing her fingers behind her back.) We’re cooking together. The BBQ is going non-stop. And more. There’s lots to be grateful for.
One from the archives…
In KD’s basketball game the other day, he should have passed the ball a bit more. One time down the court he forced a shot and it was an air ball. I was in the stands right in front of him and he said, “Carmelo.” We both giggled, and he went back to play defense.
Unless you follow the NBA carefully, you’d have no idea what we’re talking about. Short version: we’re both Lakers fans. A year ago, they talked about signing Carmelo Anthony to a free agent contract for over $20 million per season. In our opinions, it would have been a horrible signing and made the season even worse than it already was. He’s like quicksand; once he gets the ball he isn’t passing it back out. He forces and misses tons of shots. KD shot just like ‘Melo.
Another one of our latest things is playing the college game. It’s a brilliant, non-competitive game, and the rules are simple: our family lounges around and names colleges, the more obscure the better. When we come up with a good one like Belmont or Florida International, you’d think we’d won March Madness. Yes, our cheers are loud, which is difficult for my wife to tolerate at 630 a.m, but we’re having a blast. And that’s what’s important.
Another time recently, our family broke out a little Men Without Hats. Many of you remember their one hit “Safety Dance.” We played the video and our family broke out the “S’s” for the rest of the afternoon and had a tough time stopping giggling.
If you’re feeling a bit confused or bored, you’re right where you should be. Almost none of you are Lakers fans and couldn’t care less about Carmelo. Maybe you’ll think about these obscure schools when you choose your March Madness bracket this week. But I guarantee you that you haven’t thought about Jacksonville State or Northern Kentucky in the last year. And even though you can dance if you want to, you probably won’t.
And believe me there are plenty more. KD and I giggle about other things; my wife and KD have their stuff; my wife and I have our inside jokes; and our family has plenty more silly stuff. And it’s our stuff; it’s what makes us giggle, laugh and dance. It’s our glue.
WHAT’S YOUR FAMILY’S “GLUE?”
And glue is my key word. When families have these sorts of inside jokes, experiences and memories, it helps them feel closer and holds them together in more challenging moments. I encourage you to take a moment and think about what your family’s glue is. Because sometimes when things are tense and people are frustrated, breaking out some “S’s” will help you not leave your family behind.