While putting the laundry away a ran across my sons shirt that has a picture from one of my favorite movies, “The Sandlot,” with the quote “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” written across the shirt.

Let me set the scene:

Smalls is sitting in front of a candle where Ham is making s’mores. Ham asks Smalls, “Want a s’more?”

Smalls responds, “Some more what?”

Ham calmly clarifies, “No, no, do you want a s’more?”

Smalls answers with a question: “I haven’t had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?”

Ham pauses, closes his eyes in disdain, and emphatically replies: “You’re killin’ me, Smalls! These are s’mores stuff. Pay attention. First, you take the graham. You stick the chocolate… on the graham. Then, you roast the mallow. When the mallow’s flamin’ [blows it out], you stick it on he chocolate. Then, you cover it with the other end. Then you stuff, proceeds to shove his mouth full of the s’more.

This scene, those words are still etched in my brain more than twenty years later.  I remember wanting to start a baseball team, never mind the fact that I had absolutely no athletic ability whatsoever. I wanted to experience the friendship, the fun, and most importantly I wanted to face my own “Beast” bravely and win. I wanted that sense of belonging  and adventure those boys had.

So as I fold my sons shirt I find myself enjoying the fact that he loves “The Sandlot” just as much as I do.