Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/133124
Dadvice B101.5's "CHRIS & DEE IN THE MORNINGS" CHRIS CENToRE What a Crazy Month A pril had to be one of the wackiest months I can remember in a long time. It started with the celebration of our team's four-year anniversary at B101.5 and ended with cooler temps and rain, and what happened in between was something I hope I never will experience again. For those who don't know me very well, I grew up in the suburbs of Boston and lived there until moving to Richmond in 2001. I spent 2007-09 living again near Boston. Needless to say, I have a very strong bond to the area and still love everything about it. one of my favorite things to do is go to Fenway Park. I've been too many times to count and have taken both boys to games and even had a chance to take young NC on a field tour of the park a few years back. like many parents, we'd love to see our kids grow up to be ball players for our favorite team, and someday one of mine will hopefully make my dream come true. Going to the park is and always will be an experience that I recommend to everyone. Marathon Monday has always been extra special, an early game that usually got out just about the time a majority of runners were crossing the finish line. I've been to these games on several occasions, even bought standing room only tickets so I could be there for the experience. Watching the events that unfolded this year made me sadder than I have been in a very long time. like many of you, I was glued to the TV for a week straight, seeing and hearing places that I've been to, driven by and am very familiar with. It was a scary couple of days for my friends and family back home; thankfully nobody I know was harmed. But my city—the city I love—was hurt and that made me feel bad. It was also the first time that I was asked the question, "Papa, what happened, and why are you sad?" by a curious 6-year-old. At first, I wasn't sure how to answer or how much to tell him. What will he really understand? What will make him scared? Who else will he hear this from? All these questions were things I hoped I would never have to answer, but was about to. I explained to both boys what had happened in as general terms as possible that "there were some bad people who did some very bad things to good people." At the time I wasn't sure how much to let them know (again the news is everywhere these days and we even talked about it on the air). What I do know is that there are people who have to explain a lot more complicated issues to children on a daily basis. I got lucky (not sure if that's the right word) that I only needed to explain a situation that was happening six hundred miles away. Here's hoping that none of us have to deal with a situation like this again, and as cliché as it might sound — give those kiddos a big hug tonight and every night! 36 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • June 2013