I literally cannot believe that I didn’t know Opening Day was a thing.

I mean, I obviously knew that the Tigers had an Opening Day game and that tickets were a hot commodity. But the first time someone asked me if I was going to Opening Day my first year in Detroit, I said, “No, I don’t think I’ll get tickets.”

And then that individual let me in on the secret: you don’t need tickets.

Having grown up in a household that roots for the Tigers, enjoys tailgating for sporting events, and is a mere 30 minutes from Detroit, I was shocked that I had never realized the glorious fact that Opening Day is a celebration for all, not just the lucky few who have seats at the game. Opening Day is an opportunity to welcome springtime just as Michigan winters appear especially bleak. It is a moment when we can rally together for the unanimous American pastime when all other topics seem divisive.

Also, it is fun.

Once I gleaned all of this, I was dead set on experiencing Opening Day for myself. And indeed, it was glorious. Picture this: a crisp April day, the sun is shining. Detroiters are raising a glass with suburbanites. Friendships are formed over games of giant cornhole in Grand Circus Park. The entire city is cloaked in navy and orange.

The stresses of work and relationships and life might afflict you on a normal weekday. But on Opening Day, they melt away. The Tigs are up, and Verlander is assuaging any worries from the mound. There is plenty of time left in the season for the boys to break our hearts, but not today. There is plenty of time for Michigan weather to squeeze in another blizzard, but not today.

You do not have to think about the responsibilities that you are shirking or the Saturday chores that await you tomorrow. Opening Day is an exercise in living in the moment; in participating in something that is so much bigger than you, it is hard to grasp. And that is reason enough to celebrate.