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It was a weekend of rainstorms, strong winds, and sun; strike outs, getting hit by wild pitches, and base hits; and leaving the park with a sunburn and barely enough time to get ready (and write a DARE report) for school the next day. (At the time of this writing, Adeline is soaking off gel nails before I bring her to school.) Softball had begun.

The Longview Tournament signified the start of the season, and they did a great job hosting despite the weather challenges. At one point, two of my daughters and three granddaughters were huddled under the awning. Monique later said, “I would have been so angry to die in that storm.”

“You have a lot of nerve saying that after you ‘convinced’ Charlie to give softball a try this year,” I said.

“Charlie said she doesn’t like to play, but she does like to win.”

Charlie’s team experienced a little of both winning and losing, and my granddaughters Adeline and Olivia were runners-up to their friends on the first-place team.

There’s just something about the sport that I love. You start from home with the intention of rounding the bases. To do so means you must face whatever the pitcher throws at you as you attempt to bat that ball as far away from you as possible. When you do, your teammates cheer as you venture away from home and run out to make your mark. All the while, the opposition tries to put you out of the game. Your goal? To make it back home safely, where your teammates run to greet you.

Throughout their lives, long after they put away the gloves and bats, I pray my granddaughters are surrounded by mentors who coach them well, peers who help them achieve their goals, and family and friends who cheer them on.

 

Ronny Michel can be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.