Remember When

{Lyrics by Alan Jackson}


Remember when we vowed the vows
and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when


I had a world class migraine yesterday afternoon and all night long. One of those that it takes all your effort to just hold your head still to keep from getting sick. If you have never experienced these particular joys of life, imagine someone hitting you repeatedly about the head with a ball peen hammer. Then times that by 50, and you get the idea. Back before I had any of the rug rats, and it was just Angie and I, when these headaches would come on, the solution was easy. Go to a dark room, lay perfectly still, and a pray to God they would go away, or that someone would just shoot me, whichever came first. This was from 1992-1998. During that same time, the Boston Red Sox were mediocre at best, finishing in 7th, 5th, 4th, 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 2nd place during those years, with one division title and one wild card berth.


Remember when the sound of little feet
was the music
We danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we'd never give up
Remember when


Ciera came along, and immediately wrapped her Dad around her little finger. I spoiled her rotten, and still do, with the firm belief (Prayer?) that if I treat her so well, and baby her so much, that no man will ever be good enough for her. I know this is HIGHLY unlikely, but if she does get married, I'm at least making sure the little weasel who is the lucky fella is going to have to WORK at it. He's got a lot to live up too. Whenever the headaches came during this time period of 1999-2002, I pretty much could do what I did before Ciera came along. Being that she was a girl, and close to perfect, I could just go lay down and wait for relief or death, it didn't really matter which. Things, coincidentally, started looking up for the Red Sox. For the next 4 seasons, they finished in 2nd place each year, with one wild card berth.


Remember when thirty something seemed so old
Now looking' back, it's just a steppin' stone
To where we are,
where we've been
Said we'd do it all again
Remember when


In 2003, Rakes was born, seemingly with a built-in megaphone. This boy even sleeps loud. He yells everything, laughs like a drunk hyena, and runs everywhere. Then, last March, baby Trot came along. And while he's a good baby, he has developed his brothers in your face way of communication. Just recently he's figured out how to scream when he's hungry, rather than his old method of just crying hysterically until he got his food. Trust me, the new way is NOT better. Last night when I got the migraine, I could not lay down. The boys are like Tommy Lee Jones character in "The Fugitive". There is not a bathhouse, gas house, or out house you can hide in. So, I just sat in the chair doing my best not to throw up for 3 hours, while the 3 of them ran around whooping it up at a volume I can only describe as being close to the sound a jet makes at Mach 3.


For the Red Sox during these last 4 years, unless you've been living in lower Mongolia, you know things have been good, great at times. 2003 they win the wild card, have the epic ALCS with the Yankees, and Aaron Boone becomes a figure in history. 2004, same finish, same ALCS, only this time the baseball God's were smiling, and after the greatest comeback in sports history, the World Championship came home to Boston. For the first time in 86 years.


Do I think my children coming along had anything to do with this? Nah. I just know that them entering this world has brought me more happiness and more joy than at any time in the 28 years before. The Red Sox winning the World Series? Just icing on the cake.


Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won't be sad, we'll be glad
Remember what we had
Remember when


Think I'll still be sad when that happens. And there are a lot of baseball seasons left ahead.


I've got at least 18 more years where at least one of my children will still live at home, and I'll be 54 years old then.


Anybody know how old you can be and still adopt?