This is the ultimate tale of being a Cubs fan. This is how we became Cubs fans, and this is why we love the North Siders. We hope you enjoy.

Kyle: I was born into a Cubs-loving family. Although much of my extended family on both sides are fans of the team on the other side of Chicago, my parents never fell into that trap. When she was a kid, my mom would always come home from school and watch the Cubs play their standard daytime games on TV; this was before Wrigley Field installed lights at their stadium. My dad was also a big Cubs fan growing up, but his dad was the biggest Cubs fan I ever knew; every time he came to visit from Joliet, he would always have his Cubs jacket on and we would talk about Cubs baseball endlessly. He is resting easy knowing that his team finally won.

The love that my parents have for the North Siders, and for baseball in general, rubbed off on me at an early age. I started becoming a huge Cubs fan when I was 10 years old when I came to become a fan of players like third baseman Aramis Ramirez and shortstop Ryan Theriot. These were some of the players that led the Cubs to a 97-win season in 2008.

From that point on, the Cubs were my team.

I started memorizing player statistics and I regularly checked the standings to see how they were doing, and this was also the point where I started becoming a fan of the Major League game in general; being exposed to such information opened my eyes to lots of other players and teams.

My first Cubs game was in 2009 when the Los Angeles Dodgers were in town. I will not soon forget the feeling I had walking into Wrigley Field for the first time; I had only ever seen the classic outfield ivy and the historic center field scoreboard on television and in pictures, but seeing all the unique Wrigley Field features in person was breathtaking. Nothing could have made that day better, right? Well, it did get better, because the Cubs won that game 7-0.

Being a Cubs fan truly is a way of life and an interesting one at that. The franchise, compared to others, has a long history of futility. 108 years of not winning a World Series was painful.

At a certain point, you have to wonder if it is all worth it, right?

But I never asked that question. I stuck through, just like so many other Cubs fans, because being a fan of this team is about perseverance and loyalty. This is the franchise that my parents grew up on, which is also something I can be proud of. And I wouldn’t trade my love for the Cubs to any other professional sports team. Here’s to another (hopefully) great postseason run.

Olivia: Like Kyle, I was born into an all Cubs family too, with both sets of my grandparents, my parents, and almost every aunt, uncle, and cousin rooting for the team on the North Side. My grandpa and dad used to go to games when it only cost ten dollars when my dad was about 10, and it was in this same year that my grandma even got Ernie Banks’ autograph somewhere along the line. Now maybe it’s a matter of coincidence, but my first Cubs game was when I was 10 too, and I beyond to see my favorite player at the time, the one, and only Derrek Lee. To describe my first game as heaven on Earth would be an understatement.

Wrigley became my favorite place to be from the moment I stepped through the gate.

Between the ivy on the walls, the majestic scoreboard in center field, and the world famous hot dogs, it was impossible not to fall in love. In that moment, though I may have only been 10 years old, I decided that I was going to get married there, so future husband, just knows I’ve already planned our wedding and you don’t have a say.

Throughout my life, I can honestly say I’ve never found a sport that makes me happier than baseball, and I’ve never found a team better than the Cubbies.

Through thick and thin, the Cubs have always been there for me.

On good days (I mean, remember the World Series, best day of my life), the bad days (because baseball cures all problems, just like chocolate ice cream), and every day in between.

To me, baseball is so much more than just a game. It’s a way that I can relieve my stress and escape from everything that was overwhelming. It’s the one thing I know that I can always count on, even when everything else is falling apart. It’s the one place I can look for inspiration. From Derrek Lee to Starlin Castro to Anthony Rizzo, I’ve always had a baseball role model to look up to and help me through whatever I was struggling with.

Baseball is more than just a game, more than just America’s pastime. It’s my inspiration. It’s what inspires me to be strong, never give up, and never back down. Just imagine what would have happened if the 2016 Chicago Cubs hadn’t of risen to the challenge they were given. I wouldn’t be sitting here wearing my World Series Champions locker room hat, that what, and wearing it proudly with my head held high.

The Cubs have always been a part of me, and they always will be, and nothing can ever take away the love I have for my team.

Being a Cubs fan is truly an enriching experience. It is about passing down the love of Chicago baseball down from generation to generation, as we can both attest to. It has also affected the way we have known each other. If not for our parents’ love for Cubs baseball, we never would have become friends. If it wasn’t for the Cubs sticker on Kyle’s door, I never would have stopped in and introduced myself, and a simple conversation about the greatest team to ever come to Chicago wouldn’t have led to a beautiful friendship that holds strong today, just like the Cubs bench.

Go Cubs go, it’s as simple as that.

Those three worlds have brought us together just like they have for so many others, and without them, this world would be a pretty boring place. So stand up, give yourself a little Jason Heyward pep talk, and go do what you were meant to do.

Because just like the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, you can do anything, even when the world (and Cleveland) is rooting against you.