Day 2 - Take Me Out to the Ballgame

 Falls Church, VA to Washington D.C.

When considering this trip I believed the starting point was as important as anything else. Certainly, The Healing Road is important for me, but I'm doing it for Conor as a way to figure out how we, as a family, can begin again. The only clear path to that healing is through love. The love we show each other, but also the love of those who would wish us well along the journey. That plays a huge part, in fact, because through these last four years we've not been able to plan to see distant friends and family as much as we would like. Appreciating that, I wanted to begin the trip with the origin of our story. The place where I was born (Washington D.C.), where Conor was born (Arlington, VA), and where Sara and I met and made a life with one another. It just seemed apropos. We're closing one chapter and opening the next. This journey beginning in the Washington DC / Northern Virginia area just made sense to me in that regard.

Through that consideration came a conversation with two of our closest friends in life who also happen to be Conor's Godparents. Now, as a married couple with a child, the term "Godparent" is almost bestowed as an honor. It's humbling and endearing and meaningful certainly, but there's not a lot of consideration for the reality of what a Godparent(s) is. As a widowed parent to an amazing 10 year old boy, I now absolutely have to consider what that means for Conor should something happen to me, and so it just made sense to begin from that place. 

Paul and Jennifer Landers have been mine and Sara's two closest friends for over 20 years. I was honored and humbled (see above) to be named Godfather to their first son, Nathan, and when Conor was born we asked the same of them. In the time we've known the Landers, we've vacationed together, travelled the World together, grieved together, mourned together, and loved one another from a deeply admirable and respectful place. Their two boys, Nathan (whom I mentioned) and Andrew are also two of Conor's favorite people on the planet! For all of these reasons, beginning here just made sense.

That decision also coincided with our shared love of baseball and the Washington Nationals, who happened to be in town as we start this journey. So heck yeah! Let's take in a ballgame! Jennifer's company happened to have available club seats just behind home plate. When she asked if we'd like to go, it was a no brainer!

Sadly, the Nationals lost... Something they've done a lot since winning the most thrilling World Series in the history of World Series back in 2019, but I digress.  Despite that, it was an amazing time! Warm weather, cold beer, salty peanuts and messy hot-dogs. Americana at its finest. And the cherry on top? Conor came away with a foul ball! The significance of this can't be over-stated, because as we were heading out to the game he said, "Dad, I wanna catch a foul ball!!" I responded - carefully choosing my words so as to set expectations, "Oh yeah? Good luck, Bubba, because from where we're sitting, that's very unlikely."

Have any of y'all ever eaten crow before? Because I have. And it tastes terrible!

Sure enough, Conor came away with a foul ball! And that's the best tasting crow I've ever eaten...

And now we shove off for points West. West-by-God-Virginia to be exact! Camping for two days just outside of Harpers Ferry in Shenandoah, and I'm told cell service is spotty at best Given that, I'll do what I can to get the blog out but if I'm unable, allow me to say, Happy Fourth of July to you all!  Cherish your freedom, revel in your independence, and rest well in the knowing that we live in the greatest country on Earth.

We'll see you all from the Healing Road.