I wanted to write about the Astros’ big win immediately after the World Series, but I hadn’t been back home to Houston post-Harvey. That’s why you’re getting some WS reminiscing in January. Deal with it.

Above all else, Texans are proud of their state. To outsiders it can seem forced, fake, saccharine even, but I defy anyone to live for even a year in the Lone Star State and not want to call herself an honorary Texan. It’s a spirit of resilience and strength that refuses to waiver. We saw it this year with the response to Hurricane Harvey, and it culminated with the Astros winning the World Series for the first time ever. DANG, those words still make my heart flutter. 

This scene from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure is not a dramatization.

After the heartbreak of Harvey, this World Series was exactly what Houstonians needed to boost their spirits. I grew up in a suburb of Houston, and was devastated to watch the destruction Harvey ravaged on my hometown. From the depths of despair and desperation, however, arose something wonderful: neighbors supporting neighbors, families traveling hundreds of miles to help with the wreckage, and a city becoming united in its goal to survive and rebuild.  My cousins brought their boat from Baton Rouge, along with a barrel of jambalaya which fed hundreds, to help with rescue and relief efforts. Inspiring doesn’t really begin to describe what happened in the wake of the storm. Which brings me to baseball…

The Astros’ rise to becoming World Champions reminded me of the Saints winning the first game they played in the Superdome after Katrina. It was a win the city needed, and the electric energy came through our televisions. The Saints went on to (unexpectedly) win the NFC Championship that year, in their most successful season up until that point. Natural disasters have a way of bringing out the best in people, and that proved true in Houston last fall. 

A few weeks ago, I was back in Houston for the first time after the boys won the Series (and since Harvey). The city was vibrant and alive, and decked out in more Astros gear than I’d seen since the days of Bagwell and Biggio. My folks gave everyone in our family Astros t-shirts for Christmas:

Even my diehard Mets fan boyfriend was stoked about his because it has the Astrodome on it. Further confirmation that everyone loves, er, loved the Astrodome.