{"id":566,"date":"2016-11-04T22:51:40","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T22:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/?p=566"},"modified":"2016-11-04T22:56:37","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T22:56:37","slug":"believe-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/04\/believe-it\/","title":{"rendered":"believe it"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wanted to write this post during the middle of the post-season playoffs, but I found myself too nervous to jinx the Cubs’ chances of making history! \u00a0I grew up watching the Cubbies and was lucky enough to make it to a few games at the magical “friendly confines” of Wrigley Field before we moved to Texas in 2001. My grandfather was a huge Cubs fan, and I remember spending hours in front of the TV with my grandpa and my dad, learning all there is to know about baseball. \u00a0Some people find baseball tiresome to watch, but there was something about the Cubs that kept me, and millions of others like me watching season after season. \u00a0Who didn’t love watching the Home Run chase between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire? Sure, there was cheating galore on both sides- but it still made for some captivating baseball. \u00a0When we moved to Texas, I decorated my high school locker with Cubs memorabilia and still had a childhood dream of “getting married at Wrigley Field.” \u00a0\"img_1678\"<\/p>\n

After I met Tony, another lifelong Cubs fan, we attended a crosstown rivalry game at Wrigley against the Chicago White Sox. \u00a0The Cubs lost of course, but it was truly magical to be back at Wrigley Field. Watching the wind blow against the water of Lake Michigan from the historic ballpark seats yet again, was truly something special. \u00a0I told Tony about my childhood dream of “getting married at Wrigley,” and we had a good laugh about it. \u00a0And that sweet man remembered that well- proposing in front of that historic ballpark on St. Patrick’s Day, 2012.<\/p>\n

\"engagement-63\"<\/p>\n

\"img_4817\"<\/p>\n

So what is it about the Cubs? How do you still love them despite over 100 years of losing? \u00a0You keep watching because of the belief that some day all of the losing will end. \u00a0You can’t hear about the Cubs and not hear something about the dreaded “curse” or the goat that all die-hard fans fear. \u00a0These fans believe and love with such intensity, despite over 100 years of failed attempts to get anywhere close to the World Series. \u00a0Some years the Cubs were actually a good team, battling their way to win their division. Loyal fans would begin to get their hopes up, only to have them dashed during the first round of the playoffs. \u00a0Inevitably in the crowd, there would be a handmade sign that read, “there’s always next year.”<\/p>\n

\"fullsizerender-23\"But 2016 felt a little bit different. \u00a0The hashtag #wearegood was true. \u00a0The Cubs were undeniably\u00a0the best team in Major League Baseball for the first time in over a century. Tee-shirts saying “I ain’t afraid of no goat” and “Hope 2016” were produced this year. \u00a0Fans\u00a0dared to believe that 2016 was the year that the curse would be broken and the Cubs would win it all. \u00a0And they did.<\/p>\n

But… in typical Chicago Cubs fashion, every out, every hit, and every inning was agonizing to watch. The Cubs faced elimination for three straight games leading up to Game 7 of the World Series. \u00a0 Cubs fans everywhere breathed a small sigh of relief when the Cubs were up 5-1 during the game that would make them World Series Champions. \u00a0And just as many Cubs fans feared, the team began to unravel with each inning that followed. \u00a0Tony and I sat in disbelief and doubt when the Indians tied the game 6-6. \u00a0“How did they blow this lead?” \u00a0The momentum was in favor of Cleveland after that- we could feel it through the television screen. \u00a0The Cubs team, and fans began to lose HOPE. \u00a0And then? Extra innings and a heaven-sent rain delay to give the team a chance to regroup. \u00a0 And fiercely prayed for hits from Zobrist, and another from Montero put the Cubs up 8-6. \u00a0Even in the bottom of the 10th inning, with two outs, the Cubs managed to give up another run, and Cubs fans everywhere doubted again. \u00a0A routine ground ball came next, with #Bryzzo (I mean what professional baseball players are actually as nice as they are cute?) ending the game and sending the 2016 Chicago Cubs into the history books.\"img_9590\"<\/p>\n

\"img_9594\"<\/p>\n

\"img_9598-1\"<\/p>\n

In our house, there was screaming followed by tears. \u00a0The tears just flowed. \u00a0Weeks of agonizing late-night game watching had ended, and despite 100 years of history, curses and goats, the Cubs had won. Years of watching the Cubs lose year after year, had finally come to an end. \u00a0 “The best fans in baseball” got to celebrate the biggest “W” of their lives. \u00a0And it was epic.<\/p>\n

\"img_9597\"<\/p>\n

Somewhere during this post-season, I got it into my head that if I could truly believe that the Cubs could win the World Series, then I could truly believe that someday I could have a child. \u00a0The years of agony and disappointment and “there’s always next year” felt very similar to the disappointments that we have faced on our journey this year. \u00a0And I think that that’s what made this world series so remarkable. People everywhere, Cubs fans or not, were gifted a renewed sense of HOPE. \u00a0 People saw that believing in something so outlandish could actually come to be. \u00a0 People witnessed a team who battled staggering adversity to the very end. \u00a0Some say that adversity only makes you stronger, or that adversity makes the victory that much sweeter. \u00a0Similarly, “The pain that you’ve been feeling can’t compare to the JOY that’s coming.” \u00a0(Romans 8:18) \u00a0 Christmas season is right around the corner- and what better season to be reminded about having a “child-like faith” to believe? \u00a0Whether it’s God, Santa, or perfectly-timed white weather or all of the above, we are reminded to be light-hearted and just believe.<\/p>\n

So no matter what your “curse” is, what “goat” lies in your path, or how many years of failure surround you in your journey, remember that there is HOPE. \u00a0Remember to believe. \u00a0It can take so much energy to do so, but in the end, there is BRYZZO! (okay, I’m done.)<\/p>\n

\"img_9474\"<\/p>\n

Thank you to the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series Championship team for reminding us all to have\u00a0HOPE and BELIEVE in the unbelievable! <\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

GO CUBS GO!<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I wanted to write this post during the middle of the post-season playoffs, but I found myself too nervous to jinx the Cubs’ chances of making history! \u00a0I grew up watching the Cubbies and was lucky enough to make it to a few games at the magical “friendly confines” of Wrigley Field before we moved to Texas in 2001. My grandfather was a huge Cubs fan, and I remember spending hours in front of the TV with my grandpa and my dad, learning all there is to know about baseball. \u00a0Some people find baseball tiresome to watch, but there was something about the Cubs that kept me, and millions of others like me watching season after season. \u00a0Who didn’t love watching the Home Run chase between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire? Sure, there was cheating galore on both sides- but it still made for some captivating baseball. \u00a0When we moved to Texas, I decorated my high school locker with Cubs memorabilia and still had a childhood dream of “getting married at Wrigley Field.” \u00a0 After I met Tony, another lifelong Cubs fan, we attended a crosstown rivalry game at Wrigley against the Chicago White Sox. \u00a0The Cubs lost of course, but it was truly magical to be back at Wrigley Field. Watching the wind blow against the water of Lake Michigan from the historic ballpark seats yet again, was truly something special. \u00a0I told Tony about my childhood dream of “getting married at Wrigley,” and we had a good laugh about it. \u00a0And that sweet man remembered that well- proposing in front of that historic ballpark on St. Patrick’s Day, 2012. So what is it about the Cubs? How do you still love them despite over 100 years of losing? \u00a0You keep watching because of the belief that some day all of the losing will end. \u00a0You can’t hear about the Cubs and not hear something about the dreaded “curse” or the goat that all die-hard fans fear. \u00a0These fans believe and love with such intensity, despite over 100 years of failed attempts to get anywhere close to the World Series. \u00a0Some years the Cubs were actually a good team, battling their way to win their division. Loyal fans would begin to get their hopes up, only to have them dashed during the first round of the playoffs. \u00a0Inevitably in the crowd, there would be a handmade sign that read, “there’s always next year.” But 2016 felt a little bit different. \u00a0The hashtag #wearegood was true. \u00a0The Cubs were undeniably\u00a0the best team in Major League Baseball for the first time in over a century. Tee-shirts saying “I ain’t afraid of no goat” and “Hope 2016” were produced this year. \u00a0Fans\u00a0dared to believe that 2016 was the year that the curse would be broken and the Cubs would win it all. \u00a0And they did. But… in typical Chicago Cubs fashion, every out, every hit, and every inning was agonizing to watch. The Cubs faced elimination for three straight games leading up to Game 7 of the World Series. \u00a0 Cubs fans everywhere breathed a small sigh of relief when the Cubs were up 5-1 during the game that would make them World Series Champions. \u00a0And just as many Cubs fans feared, the team began to unravel with each inning that followed. \u00a0Tony and I sat in disbelief and doubt when the Indians tied the game 6-6. \u00a0“How did they blow this lead?” \u00a0The momentum was in favor of Cleveland after that- we could feel it through the television screen. \u00a0The Cubs team, and fans began to lose HOPE. \u00a0And then? Extra innings and a heaven-sent rain delay to give the team a chance to regroup. \u00a0 And fiercely prayed for hits from Zobrist, and another from Montero put the Cubs up 8-6. \u00a0Even in the bottom of the 10th inning, with two outs, the Cubs managed to give up another run, and Cubs fans everywhere doubted again. \u00a0A routine ground ball came next, with #Bryzzo (I mean what professional baseball players are actually as nice as they are cute?) ending the game and sending the 2016 Chicago Cubs into the history books. In our house, there was screaming followed by tears. \u00a0The tears just flowed. \u00a0Weeks of agonizing late-night game watching had ended, and despite 100 years of history, curses and goats, the Cubs had won. Years of watching the Cubs lose year after year, had finally come to an end. \u00a0 “The best fans in baseball” got to celebrate the biggest “W” of their lives. \u00a0And it was epic. Somewhere during this post-season, I got it into my head that if I could truly believe that the Cubs could win the World Series, then I could truly believe that someday I could have a child. \u00a0The years of agony and disappointment and “there’s always next year” felt very similar to the disappointments that we have faced on our journey this year. \u00a0And I think that that’s what made this world series so remarkable. People everywhere, Cubs fans or not, were gifted a renewed sense of HOPE. \u00a0 People saw that believing in something so outlandish could actually come to be. \u00a0 People witnessed a team who battled staggering adversity to the very end. \u00a0Some say that adversity only makes you stronger, or that adversity makes the victory that much sweeter. \u00a0Similarly, “The pain that you’ve been feeling can’t compare to the JOY that’s coming.” \u00a0(Romans 8:18) \u00a0 Christmas season is right around the corner- and what better season to be reminded about having a “child-like faith” to believe? \u00a0Whether it’s God, Santa, or perfectly-timed white weather or all of the above, we are reminded to be light-hearted and just believe. So no matter what your “curse” is, what “goat” lies in your path, or how many years of failure surround you in your journey, remember that there is HOPE. \u00a0Remember to believe. \u00a0It can take so much energy to do so, but in the end, there is BRYZZO! (okay, I’m done.) Thank you to the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series Championship team for reminding us all to have\u00a0HOPE and BELIEVE in the unbelievable! GO CUBS GO!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journey-to-parenthood"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_1671.jpg?fit=4000%2C3000&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8oEBX-98","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":596,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566\/revisions\/596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}