The Person That Made Me A Cubs Fan

As most of us know, I am a fairly devout fan of the Chicago Cubs. I know I may not always make it obvious, but they are and always will be my favorite team in any sport. This comes to a surprise when people find out that I am the only Cubs fan in my family, the rest being die hard white sox fans. Well, there is one person that is responsible for the fact that I am a Cubs fan, my godfather Bob. 

Bob was my father's best friend and was like a second dad to me in my developing years, and he passed away nine days ago. My godfather was a jovial man with a thunderous laugh and a joy for life that was unmatched. He doted on me and made sure I was in the right corner of Chicago baseball fandom. I will never forget the smile that was always on his face as he manned the nearest grill while cooking up one of his patented delicious meals. Bob was always around for holidays when I was a kid and provided me with memories that will be with me till the next time we see each other.

Bob went through a messy divorce several years back and was never quite the same as the person that helped raise me. After losing custody of his kids, the twinkle was taken from his eyes and he grew distant to everyone, even my family. However, when we did happen to bump into each other, it was like no time had passed. A few years back, his health started to take a turn for the worse and he became even more difficult to reach. 

Bob suffered a debilitating stroke a three weeks ago and I went to visit him for the first time in about six years. It was the hardest thing I have had to do in some time. Thank goodness Marilyn was with me, because it was very emotional. I couldn't talk for several moments and just hunched over and sobbed into his bedside. After a couple of minutes, I was able to talk and just updated him on how my life has gone since we last spoke. He met Marilyn and I told him about our upcoming nuptials. Although he was not able to respond, I know he heard me and was very proud of who I have become. We talked for a while and I told him I would see him soon. Part of me had a feeling that this would be our last moment together, but I did not want him to lose hope or the spirit to recover. This was two weeks ago today, and I never got to see him again since he passed the following Friday.

As I mentioned, the visit was very emotional for me. In addition to this personal loss, this has been a particularly trying Fall for a lot of people that I know. I sort of had a personal epiphany the Thursday after seeing Bob and told myself that everything was going to be okay. While I desperately wish that things could have worked out differently for Bob, I will forever cherish our moments together and memories that I have of him. This post is dedicated to Bob. I love you and will miss you more than I can say. Thank you for everything you did for me and my family. Your memory will always be alive with me and when we finally win the Series, you will be the first person that I talk to.