My Father Had A Dream

It was that I, my sister and he won the NY State lottery tonight.

He called yesterday and said "I had a dream." The first time my father ever told me he had a dream that involved me was when I was about 8 years old and played little league baseball. I was one of 2 girls in the entire league and was forced to play right outfield. I like to say forced because that is what my memories of that time tell me was the case, but I probably just stunk at little league baseball.

Anyway, it was the day before a game and late in the afternoon. I was playing in the den when Papa came lurching out of his bedroom and said "I had a dream. Pop fly."

Me: What?

Him: Pop fly, pop fly. I dreamed you got hit a pop fly and missed. Gotta go practice pop flies.

Me: ummm...ok.

So we go out to the field behind the Jr High and he starts hitting me pop flys. For those who don't know the term, it is where the hitter hits the ball super high into the air and it comes down almost right on top of you.

I was pretty much like every awful 8 year old and thought he was crazy and I was bored and really did not give it much effort. "Why is my Papa hitting balls at me?" I never got a ball hit my way. EVER. I could be watching Fat Albert right now.

The next day we are at the game and I am out in right field and you know what happened?

Pop.

Fly.

Right to me.

It was like a scene from The Natural. Everything went slow motion. I turned to see my Papa stand. I turned back to the ball which was arching my way. I got myself ready, reaching toward the ball with my glove positioned just so and...I missed it.

I come from a family of "dreamers." There are lots of stories I could tell you about me or my mom or my sister or my father having a dream that came true in some way. There are lots of old ghost stories and "weird" moments that have been passed down through the family and have happened to me personally. However, we aren't the kind of people who think we are phychic or would really go see one in seriousness. We aren't crazy people...I think we are just Southern.

All I know is that I made a promise to myself a long time ago that when my Papa calls me and tells me he has had a dream, I listen.

My family, we don't play the lottery. In fact, I personally have never bought a lottery ticket in my life unless you could the once or twice a year I get a scratch off ticket....but my sister went out yesterday and bought 30 tickets. 10 for each of us. She trusts, like me, that when someone in the family calls about a dream, you don't question it, you just do it. Today is her birthday and might bring a little extra luck.

Like the NY Lottery saying goes...you never know.

xoxo, Biz