I want to wear my Cubs shirt, the toddler says. Her big brother and sister are scurrying around searching for jerseys and hats branded with the logo of their favorite baseball team. It is Jersey Day at school, and my youngest child wants to wear a sports outfit to preschool so she looks just like the big kids.
I locate her pink jersey. A pair of leggings are next to it. Frozen socks. I have never seen her get dressed this fast, this early. When my husband emerges from his room to drive the kids to school, all three of them are ready to go. Bye, mom, her voice calls as it fades in the distance.
Being a Chicago Cubs fan in the New York City area is difficult. My oldest child has come home crying after being teased by classmates for wearing a Cubs shirt. We tell her it’s okay to be a Yankees fan. But time after time, she reaches for her Cubs shirt even though she knows she will be greeted by derision instead of smiles. A few months ago, my husband scoured New York sports stores looking for Cubs gear to give the kids as holiday gifts. He found a surprising quantity of items but ultimately headed online because he knew the girls would prefer to wear pink.
And now? They wear their Cubbie shirts and hats with pride.
Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.
