The Mystical Seed

The Mystical Seed

"Hurry up boys! We gotta stop and get sunflower seeds before we get to the game!" Not real sure how many times I said this during Chase's baseball career, needless to say, a bunch. Chase, Cody, and I had this thing about sunflower seeds, well, Frito-Lay sunflower seeds. They were without question the best. I think they roasted them just a little longer than most that gave them their distinct flavor.

Anyway,

We are headed to the Championship Game in Chase's last season at the river bottoms, and stop by the store to get our nightly supply. The boys jump out of the truck, I say, "make sure you get Coach Fred a bag". Chase gives me the knowing nod. We had converted Fred to the greatness of the Frito-Lay seeds in the middle of the season, while Coach Paul just rolled his eyes, but, Coach Fred had bought into our theory.

Coach Ron, himself a sunflower seed eater, was coming around, more than we knew as it turned out. For when we arrived in the dugout, Coach Ron threw a package of the great Frito-Lay regular flavored seeds to Coach Fred. As the boys and I watched in horror as Coach Fred didn't even attempt a catch. Why?, because it was our tradition to supply Fred with sunflower seeds before the game. This is the Championship Game Coach Ron! We can't go changing tradition.

So you can see that this magical seed has taken on a sort of mythical place in the Kindrick household.

Chase went on to high school baseball and Cody and I started a new tradition of working the press box, and eating sunflower seeds.

Maybe I look back on all those years because of the great memories of baseball and coaching and the family being together and the relationships forged.

Or maybe it is knowing that when you get that one seed, just that one, and you may not get one in every bag, {I got five in one bag today, it was a magical day} but there is that one seed that is toasted just perfectly, that has that butterytoastydeliciousnesstaste that is so perfect that you just stop for a split second and enjoy it just a little bit more, and I would look at Cody and we would exchange that 'knowing nod'..............man I miss my kid!

Kevin Kindrick
February 19, 2013