Our Son Archibald Hawkins

Archibald “Archie”

In true Burkhardt fashion, we chose our son’s name from something that has given us inspiration and joy in our lives.  Lucy was named after the “I Love Lucy” show (see post about that here), and all three cats are named after race car drivers.  Our son’s name followed suit, and he was named after the 1905 New York Giants baseball player Archibald “Moonlight” Graham who was featured in the movie Field of Dreams.  There are many reasons why this movie is significant to us.  The first that comes to mind has to do with faith.  In the movie, although Ray didn’t fully understand why he had been chosen or what the baseball field was for, he felt in his heart it was what he was supposed to do.  He followed his heart for nothing more than having faith.  This directly mirrors our decision to move back to our hometown Richmond.  We didn’t know what Richmond would hold for us, but we felt in our hearts that it is what God was calling us to do.  We felt it was where we could be a part of a community, get involved, and contribute to things outside our family unit.  We were scared. We didn’t have everything worked out, but we took a huge leap of faith and went for it.  Only now, almost 2 years later, have we seen a glimpse of what God has in store for us here. 

Another reason we love Field of Dreams is our love for baseball.  Baseball is so full of history.  My grandma would tell us stories of how she would often come home in the summer to a note from her parents saying they went to Cincinnati to catch a Reds Game.   I think this quote from the movie sums it up well…

“Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.”

That quote is my favorite part of the movie. It gives me chills every time I hear it. 

Hawkins

His middle name comes from my great-grandmother’s maiden name…the same great-grandmother who often took off for Crosley Field to see the Reds play.  A woman who clearly understood the tradition of baseball.  She actually attended the very first night game in baseball history.

A few more quotes from Field of Dreams that really resonate with me...

Ray Kinsella:  it's good to be playing again, huh? 

Shoeless Joe Jackson:  Getting thrown out of baseball was like having part of me amputated. I've heard that old men wake up and scratch itchy legs that been dust for over fifty years. That was me. I'd wake up at night with the smell of the ball park in my nose, the cool of the grass on my feet... The thrill of the grass.

Shoeless Joe Jackson:  Man, I did love this game. I'd have played for food money. It was the game... The sounds, the smells. Did you ever hold a ball or a glove to your face? 

Ray Kinsella: Yeah. 

Shoeless Joe Jackson:  I used to love traveling on the trains from town to town. The hotels... brass spittoons in the lobbies, brass beds in the rooms. It was the crowd, rising to their feet when the ball was hit deep. Shoot, I'd play for nothing!

[This is how I feel about gymnastics.  My heart aches for the sport.  Unfortunately it's not a lifetime sport, as my body just says No. More.]