KD (our 15-year-old son) is a huge Giants fan, and I roll hardcore with the Dodgers. This morning he told me the Giants have spent the most money of all teams on free agents, and the Dodgers have spent next to nothing. There is one more semi-major player, Dansby Swanson, available. Even though we both know he’s pretty good, KD announced that he’s a medicore player, and we immediately jumped into naming mediocre teams he might sign with: Royals. Orioles. Blue Jays. Rockies. Etc. Captain Mommy was at the table with us, following along and reading the news.
Immediately, the topic pivoted, and we moved over to the Lakers. They’re on tv tonight, and we confirmed the time of the game. If you follow the NBA, you know that Anthony Davis is absolutely tearing it up. Full Beast Mode. At the same time, he’s extra injury prone, and we’re holding our breath, hoping for the best. In jest, we have a running dialogue going on of his nicknames: Street Clothes. Anthony Day-to-Davis. It’s a brand new Day(vis). Another Day(vis) Off. After we all giggled, he went off to school. He’s in the middle of finals, so some laughter seemed appropriate.
(Note: Unfortunately, AD was injured in the game. It doesn’t look bad, but as long as the MRI is clear, he looks Day-to-Davis. Regardless, the Lakers went off, and KD and I cheered loudly as they pulled away.)
It’s Time 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: my wife, KD and I lounge around and name 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 “The Safety Dance.” We played the video https://youtu.be/0QDKLglEP5Y, 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. 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.
Until next time…
