Lucky Charms

My son was convinced that when my mother and father, his Nanny and Poppie, attended his baseball games, the team won. It was as simple as that. They were the team’s lucky charm, according to a 10-year-old boy. To be honest, it seemed to be true. Some might think it is crazy to associate the presence of two grandparents to winning baseball, but if you ask my 10-year-old son, their beloved grandson, it was a tried and true fact.

It all began during the spring AAA baseball season, and continued to the summer Sizzler league. During the spring season, the team went something like 5-5. My parents attended at least some of the 5 winning spring league games. Over the summer, they were able to attend the final game of the regular season, when the team pulled out an exciting 3 – 2 win with a walk-off run. So, of course, Ari begged them to attend the first game of the playoffs. Sure enough, the team won another nail biter, 10-9, with a walk off hit by the same player.

Then, things got a little tricky. The weather for the 2nd game of the playoffs was extremely hot, perhaps too hot for my parents. I might add that we were to play the strongest team in the league.. the one which demolished us 23-0 in our first game of the season.

Ari asked my parents many times if they would come, and my mother was torn. She wanted to attend more than anything, but wasn't sure she could bear the heat and humidity. She found a solution and told Ari, “Come to my house and I will give you something of mine. In case I cannot be there, you will at least have something from me.” She gave Ari a silver dollar with a lovely note taped to it, which he promptly taped to the inside of his baseball bag.

My mother started to question me, “Does Ari really think that we make the team win?” I said that it must give him some level of confidence when he sees them there. I couldn’t speak for the rest of the players, but in Ari’s mind, he could conquer the world with Nanny and Poppie looking on.

When do you tell a child that there is no Tooth Fairy, for example? Do you let him play it out and grow into it or do you rip off the band-aid, so to speak, and give it to him straight?

In this case, I saw no harm in letting it go. I didn’t discuss it with him either. I didn’t try to determine if there was any logic involved or simply wishful thinking. My son is a smart boy who can calculate math in his head, but he’s still only 10.

Well, as it turned out, my parents did make that 2nd game of the playoffs. And the team lost, although not as badly as they did in the first game. That was that.

On the way home from the game, I decided to talk with Ari about his belief. Did he really think Nanny and Poppie were his lucky charms? Did they make the team win? He looked at me with his sweet face and replied, “Not really, but it certainly made them feel good.”

I just smiled and realized just how smart my son really is.