If you're born a Cubs fan, you can never be anything else. My dad was a lifelong fan of the hapless Chicago nine, and my sister and I early learned the loyalty and frustration that only Cubs fans can know.

When we were girls, our family made several visits to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field from our small Illinois hometown. We saw Ernie Banks and the Million Dollar Infield and Fergie Jenkins on the mound. Later, I introduced my new husband to the Cubs, and we made pilgrimages to the north side park from our home in South Bend, Ind.

The last time I was at Wrigley was in 1998. I had to go back to the Midwest to sign some final paperwork on my mother's estate. It was April, and the Cubs were playing at home.

On the way from our hometown to her home in Indiana, my sister and I took a detour into Chicago and caught the Cubs playing (I think it was) the Dodgers. We walked up and got great seats on the third base side of the upper deck.

In the second inning, a family came up and sat next to us. I was very happy to tell their little girls that the Cubbies had batted around in the first and the rookie pitcher -- it was Kerry Wood -- was doing a great job. The Cubs went on to win that day.

Here's to a Centennial championship in 2008, but, well, there's always next year.

--Jan Hessling, Durham