Glory Days
Updated: Jan 30, 2021
People always ask me what it was like being married to a professional baseball player. It is hard to describe in a few words just how special that time was, and all the incredible moments we were able to experience as a family.
I wish I could go back sometimes and relive some of those moments because at the time, I just never thought about it ever coming to an end.
Maybe it was because I was so young, crazy in love, and busy with babies, that I rarely sat back and honestly appreciated the amazing things that were happening. All because of what Greg did for a living.
There were private plane trips, schmoozing with celebrities and music artists, and all the retail therapy one could ever want. Beautiful homes, cars and more jewelry I could ever wear. I am sure I never even looked at a price tag when I shopped. If I wanted it, I bought it with out giving it a second thought.
We were able to donate millions to charities and other causes we believed in. Help out family and friends in need, or invest in things we thought were cool, which by the way, we sucked at!
Now that I am just a regular person, living a regular life, I wish my older self could have had a little talk with my younger self back then. The amount of money we spent on ridiculous things is embarrassing to even think about. When you are in your twenties and thirties making millions of dollars, you never think you will ever run out.
Well, you certainly can. While we are not poor, I will just say we enjoyed the glory days a little more than we should have.
We are no longer the ones always picking up the dinner tab, or bailing people out of debt. I look at every price tag on everything, and can’t remember the last time I bought a designer anything. And you know what? I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life.
Of course it was awesome being able to buy what ever my heart desired, and I wish every human could experience that feeling. But the truth is, the things I desire are much different now, than they were back then.
I desire family time and happy hour or coffee with girl friends. I desire quiet movie nights with Greg at home, and having a frozen pizza and box wine for dinner. I desire long walks with a great audio book, and find joy in the days that Dawson is extra smiley, and when our daughters are extra happy. All these things are well within our budget!
I appreciate life so much more now that things are not as easy to obtain as they once were. I love how people don't expect anything from us anymore, and like us for who we are and not for what we can do for them.
Friendships have come and gone since baseball has ended for Greg, and there seems to have been the perfect weeding out process for those who are still in our lives today. I have learned money can’t buy happiness and that only you, and not a material thing, can bring real and lasting happiness to your life. Okay, maybe we all could be a little bit happier in a brand new Range Rover;)
Sarah Swindell's memoir, Rounding Home, is now available here! http://bit.ly/RoundingHome