Well, the ride is over for my son's Little League team. They lost tonight and were eliminated from the state tournament. It was sad, but they left with their heads held high as the third best team in Northern California. As we drove home, my son said, "I guess that's the end of Little League for me." He's been playing since he was five, and I hadn't thought of this moment as the end of Little League. It was such a bittersweet thing to stay, and it caught me off-guard. We agreed this was a great way to end his career - third in the state and having gone farther than any other team in Half Moon Bay Little League history. As we drove through the darkness, we reminisced about some of his favorite little league teams over the last ten years and counted up his accomplishments (two league championships; two All Star District Championships; one All Star Section Championship). We remembered some of the great trips we've taken together and the time he hit a game winning RBI and was carried off the field when he was seven or eight. After five days on the road and four baseball games, I think my favorite memory will be this - the two of us in the car, hurtling down Highway 80 on the way home, talking about this important chapter in his life. And hearing the happiness in his voice. Happy because his life has included all these moments. And knowing that I helped make that happen. And I felt joy, rather that sadness, because I thought, "This is my kid, and I love him so much." Isn't that what being a parent is all about?
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