Why Marriage Is Just Like Baseball
Why Marriage Is Just Like Baseball
Guest post by Rick Gabrielly, The Marriage Boss
My friend Rick was a speaker for my recent Your Vibrant Life Summit. We had a great conversation about how to survive money stress without breaking up. This article is a great supplement to our talk…and Rick’s humor. Enjoy!
Marriage is like baseball.
I was born with a baseball mitt on my left hand.
I know you think I’m kidding but I’m serious. I can remember how it felt and the smell of that Rawlings leather filling my newly formed nostrils.
To this day it’s still one of my favorite smells. At 52 I’m still totally in love with the game and would rather be at a baseball game than anywhere else on earth. It doesn’t matter who’s playing or where the game is.
I do prefer watching young people play over pros since they are still only playing for love.
So this is when the comparison starts.
Marriage is like baseball.
Some do it for love, some do it for money, some do it to keep occupied, some do it because their parents want them to do it, and some do it because their friends are doing it.
Which one are you?
Are you playing for love? Money? To keep busy? For your parents? For your friends?
As a player for most of my life and then as a coach for 14 years I studied the game of baseball every day.
I watched the warm-ups (dating) I watched the game (one day in your marriage) and I watched as the game ends, each team after shaking hands returns to their respective dugouts to reflect on victory or defeat (thinking about your day before going to bed.)
So in my comparison each day spent as a couple is one game of baseball. Click To Tweet
We get up in the morning as the starting pitcher determined to throw a strike. If you’re a hitter you dream of getting a hit, maybe even knocking in a run or two. If you’re in the field, when that ball comes your way you dream of making an amazing catch and of course the big out. Maybe even catching the final out in the ninth inning to secure the win for your team (your family.)
Some days we give up a home run. We strike out. And of course we make the dreaded error to cost our team the game.
Then we have to face our teammates and coaches (spouse and kids) and even though they tell us it’s okay we still feel horrible.
However, if you’re lucky, you have a game tomorrow and you’ll have a chance to redeem yourself by grabbing that bat and getting that hit or throwing that game ending strikeout to win or even making that routine play in the field to secure the win.
Don’t forget plenty of games you don’t do any of these things and your team can still win or lose.
So in reality maybe we should look at each game (each day of marriage) as an opportunity. An opportunity to play on a team. To be in the game. To enjoy the experience for just that. A chance to play the game we love.
To smell that leather. To be outside. And to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Yeah marriage is just like baseball. Some days you win, some days you lose, but you always want to play again.
So next time you look into the eyes of your husband or wife, partner, boyfriend or girlfriend, remember you are just two kids playing the greatest game ever. The game of love.
Hopefully, you can’t wait to get home.
“Play Ball…”
About Rick:
Rick Gabrielly is a passionate husband, father, entrepreneur and author. His program, The Marriage Boss, helps men around the world start the money conversation with their women, resulting in more vibrant marriages, stronger families and businesses that matter. Rick is the author of “Uncovering the Hidden Currency of Marriage“ and “7 Ways to Creating the ‘Can’t-Wait-To-Get-Home’ Deeper, Richer, Sexier Marriage” Try to catch Rick (if you can) here.
I had to share this with my husband, also a baseball fanatic!
Carol Cassara recently posted…The crazytown of prescription drugs
Nice, Carol!
Fun post! There are definitely many comparisons between marriage and baseball, though I’d never thought of it that way before. Thanks for sharing!
Laurel Regan recently posted…NaPoWriMo + Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2015 – W is for…
I thought the same thing, Laurel!
Reading this made me smile. Marriage really is just like baseball. I was wondering a few days ago if I was wrong to decide I never wanted to get married so early on in life, but this just confirmed for me what I already knew – it isn’t for me! Great article 🙂
Louise
Louise recently posted…Prom Outfit Ideas 2015
I agree, Louise. I married young (19) and it worked out for 10 years and 3 kids and then… not so much.
How very true marriage is indeed like a game. You win some and you loose some, but what keeps you in the game is the love for your team and the challenges that come with each year. I am visiting from the FB blogger group and it would be awesome if you visit me too.
Enzie via Portraits by NC
Thanks for your comments!