When I was about 10, I was in a youth baseball league. All the teams in my league were named after major league teams and by pure chance, I was put on a team called “The Mets”. Because of this, I loved The Mets and wanted to get my hands on anything related to them. I ended up having so much Mets gear that one of my brothers nicknamed me Darryl Strawberry. Of course, my mom was the one who got it all for me.
Mom didn't know much about baseball or sports for that matter, but she knew that I was crazy about this team that hit a ball with a stick. During the height of my Mets phase, she was always on the lookout for anything related to my beloved team.
The folder I'm holding below was a replica of Ron Darling's 1988 Topps baseball card and was my absolute favorite. Since most of my other folders for school were those “5 for a dollar” cheapies you would get at Paper Cutter, I would carry this one on the outside of my stack of folders in the hallway, just like someone who puts a hundred dollar bill over a wad of singles.
Mom didn't know much about baseball or sports for that matter, but she knew that I was crazy about this team that hit a ball with a stick. During the height of my Mets phase, she was always on the lookout for anything related to my beloved team.
The folder I'm holding below was a replica of Ron Darling's 1988 Topps baseball card and was my absolute favorite. Since most of my other folders for school were those “5 for a dollar” cheapies you would get at Paper Cutter, I would carry this one on the outside of my stack of folders in the hallway, just like someone who puts a hundred dollar bill over a wad of singles.
And I'll never forget this amazing Christmas card that must have taken her forever to make. It had prime real estate among my pictures on the wall. I saved it for years until the glitter was falling off so badly, I eventually had to get rid of it.
She also took me on a trip to the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown with my Grandfather. In the picture below, I am wearing my beloved fanny pack. In it, I'm sure I had a bunch of Mets baseball cards and that stale stick of gum that comes with the pack.
At that age, it was important to always have a few cards on you because you never knew when you would run across someone that would have a card that you were missing or vice versa and in the heat of the moment you could make a sweet trade that that would complete your set.
At that age, it was important to always have a few cards on you because you never knew when you would run across someone that would have a card that you were missing or vice versa and in the heat of the moment you could make a sweet trade that that would complete your set.
My most prized possession, though, was my Mets Satin starter jacket. I loved this jacket so much and would wear it everywhere. If you look close enough, you can see I'm even wearing Mets wristbands. I don't think I ever asked my mom specifically for Mets wristbands, but that's the kind of person my mom was before she got sick. If she found out that you liked something, she would always be on the lookout for anything that related to it and she'd buy it or try to make something similar.
Mom would always spend most of her paycheck on other people and truth be told, she wouldn't have it any other way. For my mom, it was the smile that she received when she would give you something. To her, that smile was everything.
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