I’ll never forget the time I hit a grand slam with my dad.

I loved playing baseball as a kid. I always felt extra special when my dad came to the games. One game and one day was particularly memorable. It was Father’s Day. I was in the starting lineup, and it was time to show off. Everything was perfect. Maybe I would go three for three; maybe two for three, or maybe hit a home run and maybe, just maybe, a home run with the bases loaded – a grand slam!

A perfect day gone wrong

But my first two times at bat, I struck out. 0 for 2. I was worried. Would I get another chance to redeem myself?

I did. When I came up to bat the third time, my teammates were on base. It was my chance to get a hit and drive in those runs. But…strike one…strike two…then, a hitter always knows when he makes contact. In that split second, a hitter knows it’s going to be a hit… A hitter also knows a split second later when it’s a pop out…in the infield.

It was an extra high pop out. And it was the third out, too. I had failed to get a hit, had failed to drive the runners in, had gone 0 for 3, and had failed in front of my dad. As I headed to the bench, the players were saying, “Boy, what a major league pop out!”

It was a struggle, but I had to play the infield the next inning. I felt terrible and couldn’t think about anything but the strike outs and the pop out and a perfect day, gone wrong. I was playing third base, wishing I could have another chance and not paying much attention, when the other team’s best hitter came to bat.

The rocket ball

He hit the ball hard on one or two hops toward me. It seemed like a rocket approaching. The ball came so fast to my right, I didn’t have time to catch the ball in my glove. So I caught it in my bare hand. Ouch!

Coach always said, “Throw to first!” As I started to throw, I lost feeling in my hand and started to drop the ball. So I brought my other hand with the glove to keep the ball from touching the ground. Then I noticed the runner from second coming toward me. I tagged the runner out as he slid into me.

It must have looked good, because everyone congratulated me, even the other team’s coaches.

The game ended. I’m not sure who won or lost. I remember getting accolades about the “major league pop out” and “that play at third base.” My only concern was what Dad would say…no home run, no double, no hits.

What will Dad say?

I’ll always remember exactly what he said in the car on the way home: “That was a great play at third base.”

I said thanks.

Dad made no mention of anything except the play at third base. I felt relieved and proud. Dad saw the good thing I did. That day, I felt I had hit a grand slam with my Dad.

Today, 30 years later, my dad has continued to overlook the strike outs and compliment me instead on the “good things.”

Today, I still love baseball and my dad…and respect third basemen. Ouch!

First © Joe Herman 1998

The story behind Joe Herman’s story:

At his mother’s request, Joe Herman originally wrote this tribute to his father, Don Herman, as a contribution to the community writing project “1998: Year of the Family.” The project published a family-strengthening story in the El Paso Times every day in 1998. Joe’s story was later republished in, and is reprinted with permission from, the book My Roots Go Back to Loving and other stories from Year of the Family. Don Herman died of cancer three years after his son’s tribute was published.

There’s a family nobody likes to meet,

They live, it is said, on Complaining Street,

In the city of Never-Are-Satisfied,

The river of Discontent beside.

They growl at that and they growl at this,

Whatever comes there is something amiss;

And whether their station be high or humble,

They are known by the name of Grumble.

The weather is always too hot or cold,

Summer and winter alike they scold;

Nothing goes right with the folks you meet

Down on that gloomy Complaining Street.

They growl at the rain and they growl at the sun,

In fact, their growling is never done.

And if everything pleased them, there isn’t a doubt

They’d growl that they’d nothing to grumble about!

But the queerest thing is that not one of the same

Can be bought to acknowledge his family name,

For never a Grumbler will own that he

Is connected with it at all, you see.

And the worst thing is that if anyone stays

Among them too long he will learn their ways,

And before he dreams of the terrible jumble

He’s adopted into the family of Grumble.

So it were wisest to keep our feet

From wandering into Complaining Street;

And never to growl, whatever we do,

Lest we be mistaken for Grumblers, too.

Let us learn to walk with a smile and song,

No matter if things do sometimes go wrong,

And then, be our station high or humble,

We’ll never belong to the family of Grumble!

Have you ever noticed

that when people don’t know what to talk about in a social setting, a lot of them simply start complaining about something?

What the Bible says

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23 NIV).

Today’s prayer

Help me to look for things to be thankful for today even when I am feeling down or scared or irritated. And help me to express thanks because there is always something good in my life. Amen

On Sundays… be aware that when parents avoid or put down children’s honest spiritual doubts, the doubts don’t go away. They go underground. Then kids are apt to decide that their parents’ faith can’t stand up to honest questions. So encourage questions, even if that is scary.

On Mondays… if you want your kids to develop good eating habits, make it easy to eat healthy food and hard to eat junk. So avoid buying potato chips and junk munchies, and when you do have them in the house, store them someplace inconvenient. Meantime, keep nuts and washed fruit available in bowls on the counter.

On Tuesdays…remember that although children do need firm, consistent correction when they do something wrong, correction will be most effective (and most loving) when it takes place in a background of praise, appreciation and warm approval.

On Wednesdays…encourage your children’s curiosity by responding warmly to their questions, by slowing down to take time to  look at the bugs and other things that catch their attention, and by finding books about their special interests.

On Thursdays… remember that when parents get angry with their children, it’s usually because their kids don’t meet their expectations. And if parents’ expectations are unrealistic, they’ll be angry a lot. So if you are getting angry about the same things over and over, give your expectations a reality check.

• Are you expecting that home will always be a haven of refuge and peace?
• Are you expecting more than your children are capable of – accomplishments beyond their state of development?
• Are you expecting them to act radically different from other children their age?

On Fridays… remember that laughing and playing together makes family members feel closer, develops creativity, increases physical fitness, reduces stress and helps people manage their problems.

On Saturdays… do what you love to do and include your children to the extent of their interest. Do you like to garden? Cook? Build? Hike? Craft? Sing? Travel? Find ways to share the things you love with your kids.