Vacation Day 2: U2 and the Promise of Spring

Seven months ago, Michael was growing inside Molly as she and I attended a U2 concert at Soldier field in Chicago.
It was a beautiful day.
The band was fantastic, Molly was beautiful and my heart was light. Two or three times, she'd put her hands around her belly and say, "Do you hear the music, baby?" Then I would tear up.
It was a nice trip, seeing Molly's brother Jude and his girlfriend Nicole. It was our third trip to the windy city and made all the more enjoyable because Molly's mom came with us. (It was great sharing driving duties.) We even went on a tour of Wrigley Field.
But as much as I love Wrigley Field (It's my favorite Major League Stadium), that concert meant the world to me.

One of the best parts was when U2 played "I Still haven't Found What I'm Looking For," probably my favorite U2 song.
The brilliant part was that it seemed they wanted the fans to sing it to them. It's a song that just makes you feel full of hope. Hope of finally finding what you've been looking for.
And with a home filled with Michael and Molly I finally feel like I have found what I've been looking for.
On Day 2 of Vacation with Michael, I played a ton of U2 songs: "Beautiful Day," "Even Better than the Real Thing," "Pride" "Hold Me, Kiss Me, Thrill Me, Kill Me."
I think the reason I love U2 so much is that they're songs are grounded in the struggle of life, our temptations and our sins, but lift you up with the feeling that there is a reason to hope.
The only other thing in life that makes me feel that way is Spring Training.
You know your team has faults. You know you really only have a one-in-30 chance of winning the World Series, or a one-in-15 chance of winning the pennant.
But March brings hope.
Maybe this is the year. Maybe some young kid is going to burst onto the scene and carry your team. Maybe some veteran will find the magic again and lead you to the promised land.
So yesterday, as I held Michael in our kitchen, listened to U2 and felt the sunbeams come through the window and onto the back of my neck, I should have felt awash in hope.
Instead, I worried. About our yard being so close to a busy street. About strangers who could hurt Michael. About sickness. About failing him as a parent.
Feeling overwhelmed, I kissed Michael's cheek.
My thoughts turned back to that concert, when U2 played "Beautiful Day."
They had a video with Mark Kelly, the astronaut husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
If ever there was a man who had a reason to give up on hope, it's Kelly, whose wife was shot in the head a year ago.
But Kelly recorded a video from the space station that was played during the concert. It was so full of hope and when he recited the lines from David Bowie's "Space Oddity" there wasn't a dry eye in the stadium.
"Tell my wife I miss her very much. She knows," he said.