My grandfather and I were very close, and anyone who knew him knew he was a HUGE sports fan. He attended all the local high school football, hockey, and baseball games, and watched sports all the time on tv–especially the Minnesota Twins. In talking one day, I was surprised to learn he had NEVER been to a Twins game in all of his 85 years! My grandpa was born, raised, and lived in northern Minnesota and rarely made the 3+ hour drive to Minneapolis (where the Twins play), so the opportunity had never presented itself. I decided right then and there that that had to change!
We got tickets for us and two friends for a game in June, 2001. He was excited, and even went out and bought a new Twins hat especially for the occasion (he always wore a baseball hat and had lots of them). During the long car ride, the four of us chatted about everything under the sun. It was so nice having all that time alone with him. As we approached Minneapolis and my grandpa got a glimpse of the Metrodome, I could feel his anticipation building. We went inside and I will never forget the look on his face and how his eyes lit up when he saw the field for the first time from the concourse–he said something like, “It’s so much more green than on tv!” The entire game he sat glued to the action. We had great seats–second row, just beyond third base–that made it easy for him to see what was happening and to follow along, play-by-play. We enjoyed snacks and drinks, cheered lots (and loud!), and of course, being a scrapbooker, I insisted on taking photos. He had an absolute blast, and to top it off, the Twins even won the game! It was a day that I will never, ever forget.
Afterward, he talked about the game for weeks to everyone he ran into. You could tell that he really enjoyed himself, and I was so happy that we made the time to do it (and kicking myself that we didn’t do it sooner!).
Sadly, that would be our one and only Twins game together, as he passed away the following summer.
Although this photo from that day isn’t great and my eyes are closed, it is one of my favorite and most cherished photos. Every time I look at it, I’m reminded of the memories of that day–truly one of the best days of my life–and it makes me smile!
Sometimes, I think we scrapbookers get hung up on getting the “perfect” photo. But you know what? Sometimes those imperfect photos are the ones that matter most. This photo of my grandpa and me is worth much more to me than a million more “perfect” photos.
If there’s a story behind a photo that you want to remember, it deserves to go into your scrapbook, whether it’s “perfect” or not!
