Father Daughter Bonding

I’ve been away for a few days on a mini vacation with my daughter. It was a wonderful trip. Here’s a bit of a background…

I’ve always been a big sports fan, mainly because my father took me to professional sporting events since I was very young. Some of my greatest memories as a child, and even as an adult, were these times spent at games with my father. As I thanked him, he said the only payback required was that I did the same for my kids.

I couldn’t wait to take my own son(s) to games and experience that same bonding time. As it turns out, I had no sons but 3 daughters. However, each one has expressed interest in going to games, and I have had that bonding time with each of them. Due to the fact that games are so expensive now, I can only take them one at a time.

My oldest daughter is a fan of the New York Yankees baseball team. They are my least favorite team, but I still promised her a trip. Since we are only 2 hours from Toronto, the plan was to see the Yankees when they played there. However, as we made those plans, we realized that my daughter was too old (16) to cross the border with only a birth certificate. She needed a passport that she did not have. This was last summer. She was obviously disappointed that I broke my promise of taking her to the game. I told her that in the next season, I would make it up to her by taking her straight to the source…I would take her to a game at Yankee Stadium in New York City. My daughter is in love with New York, so she quickly got over her disappointment and agreed to the deal.

The right time next season arrived, and this past week we took our trip to New York City. We did a lot of driving in a short time, as it’s a 7 hour car ride from where we are, and we only made it a two day trip. We spent a full day in New York, experiencing the typical sights like Madison Square Garden, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and the like. We did a ton of walking all day on a hot but beautiful day. In the evening we arrived at the stadium where my daughter was in awe. I was too, even though I’ve been there before. Baseball fans know who Derek Jeter is. The last time I was at Yankee Stadium was his first year playing. Now I also was there to see him in his last. A major thunderstorm in the middle of the game shortened it, but we still had a great time and enjoyed the game. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I was awake, and that this priceless time at a Yankees game in New York with my daughter wasn’t just a dream.

I could not stop thanking God throughout this trip. I thank Him for this daughter and my other two. All of them are absolute gems, beautiful on the inside and out. I thanked Him for this opportunity, and for the resources to take this trip. And I thanked Him for the safety and protection we experienced throughout, as well as the wisdom to find my way around, get on the right trains, etc.

This was a short two day trip. However, the fun, laughs, and experiences we had will last a lifetime. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂