Dear Red Sox, Thank You.

Dear Boston Red Sox,

I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve been to Fenway Park. I spent a good portion of my adolescence at the TD Garden, cheering on the Bruins. My dad brought me to my first Patriots game at Gillette. I’ve celebrated World Series, Stanley Cup and Superbowl championships with the rest of our city. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy most of it, but I should also be honest about something—I’m not a diehard sports fan.

Don’t get me wrong. Sports are great. I was born and raised in Massachusetts. I love that dirty water and I’ll sing Sweet Caroline, drunkenly, at the top of my lungs any day.

So why don’t I consider myself a diehard fan?

The thing that’s always bothered me about sports is the emotional attachment. You’re probably thinking, what the?! That’s the whole point of being a fan. You get attached. You are loyal. You cheer on your favorite players. The basic principle of being a Boston fan is you inherently despise any and all New York teams, players, and fans (don’t tell my roommates…they’re all New Yorkers) and that’s OK because the rivalries are part of the fun.

While that’s all great, I’ve also spent my life watching family, friends, and the rest of my fellow Bostonians get their hopes up and have them come crashing down when their beloved teams lose games, big or small. I always think, it’s not you on that field, so why let a team’s loss affect your overall mood? Don’t let a game ruin your day. Let go of the loss and move on. Don’t harp on it for days, weeks, months…or years. It’s not worth it. Life goes on.

But I’m wrong. While being a fan comes with its disappointments, there’s a reason you become emotionally invested. For all the losses experienced, it makes those winning moments that much more magical.

For a city that’s been attacked, spending the better part of this year mourning a tragedy, we’ve become more connected than ever before, but we also need something that gives us hope and reminds us that just because you have a bad season, or year, that doesn’t mean next year is going to the be same.

For the first time in a long time, the city of Boston is smiling.

So call me a pink hat, because it’s true, but I want to sincerely thank the Red Sox for what they’ve brought to this city.

Red Sox, we tip our hats to you today. It wasn’t just a great game last night, or a World Series win…it was much more. It was hope. It was faith. And more importantly, it wasn’t just something we wanted—it was something we all needed.

It doesn’t change what happened to our city six months ago, or bring back the lives that were lost. Nothing can change that and the victims of that day will never be forgotten. But for the first time in a while, we have something worth celebrating…and that’s wicked awesome. No one can take that away.

Sincerely,

A grateful Bostonian