Stretching Across Generations

Last weekend, the Chicago Cubs won the National League Pennant for the first time since 1945.  They have an opportunity to win their first World Series since 1908.  Even though I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula, I always like the Cubbies.  Wrigley Field, with its ivy-covered brick and history, the Billy Goat Curse, and the fact that they hadn’t won in a long time appealed to me.  

Additionally, a lot of 1980’s pop culture that I consumed as a kid featured the Cubs.  Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane take in a ballgame at Wrigley Field in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Larry and Balki head into to Wrigley Field for an afternoon Cubs game during the intro to Perfect Strangers; Jimmy Dworski breaks out of prison to see the Cubs play the Angels in the world Series in Taking Care of Business; Henry Rowengartner becomes a star pitcher for the Cubs as a young boy after his broken arm heals in a manner than gives him super strength in Rookie of the Year; and Punky and Henry attend a Cubs playoff game at Wrigley Field in an episode of Punky Brewster.  The Punky Brewster episode had particular impact.

I recently re-watched the Punky Brewster Cubs episode online.  Even though it had been probably thirty years since I had seen the episode, I remembered many details.  The Cubs had made it to the National League Championship Series with a chance to make their first appearance in the World Series since 1945.  Henry, a lifelong Cubs fan, really wanted to take Punky to the game in an effort to recreate the experiences he had with his dad as a kid at Wrigley Field.  He told her that he attended the 1932 World Series when Babe Ruth called his shot to center field and subsequently hit a home run, smacking him on the head and leaving a permanent scar.  

They buy tickets from a scalper, only to find two nuns sitting in their seats.  They realize that they were sold counterfeit tickets and although they made it into the park, they did not have seats.  Eventually, Punky somehow makes friends with the Cubs team and they get invited to watch the game from the Cubs dugout.  The episode ends with the Cubs winning the game.  No mention is made of the fact that the Cubs had three chances to make it to the World Series only to lose the playoff series in five games to the Padres.

The sentiment of the Punky Brewster episode is the same sentiment that the broadcasters discussed last weekend when the Cubs finally clinched an appearance in the World Series after so many years of futility: a shared experience and shared emotions from one generation to another.  During the celebration after the Cubs beat the Dodgers, no doubt many Cubs fans thought about their grandparents, parents, other relatives, and friends who were lifelong Cubs fans but were never able to see their team make it to the World Series.  

As parents and grandparents, it is important to us to share experiences and passions with our children and grandchildren that we enjoyed when we were their ages.  As children and grandchildren, experiences and passions that our parents and grandparents shared with us have a special significance.  Estate planning is perhaps the ultimate expression of this sentiment.  Although there are legal details and physical assets to address, the ultimate purpose of estate planning is to share both the tangible and the intangible with the next generation.    

KRASA LAW, Inc. is located at 704-D Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, California and Kyle may be reached at 831-920-0205.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only.  Reading this article does not establish an attorney/client relationship.  Before acting upon any of the information presented in this article, you should consult a competent attorney who is licensed to practice law in your community.