The End

5.....4.....3.....2......1......0.....The final buzzer sounds and everyone jumps around jubilantly, high fiving each other after the hard fought victory! We line up to shake hands, smiles abound as we congratulate the boys on the opposing team for a well-played game. The Lakers gather together for one final cheer and just like that, it is over.

The parents of each boy approach and offer their congratulations and thanks for a fun-filled season.."Will you be coaching the boys next year?", "Our son had a great time playing basketball this year!", "Thanks for everything coaches", "You are the best coaches that Ethan has ever had".......

Jacob makes his way over and says, "Thank You for everything". I tell him that it was a joy to coach him. A lump forms in my throat and I am unable to say another word. I turn away just as a tear falls from the corner of my eye. I am instantly overcome by a wave of emotion so I quickly locate the gym exit and walk out.

As I drive home, tears begin to stream down my cheek. My mind flashes back to the first day of practice and all the fun times that we had throughout the season. Each boy's name runs through my mind and I fondly recall little snippets from the past few months.

Didn't we just have our very first practice of the season?? Wasn't I just trying to remember each boy's name and a distinguishing feature so that I could address them by their first name?? Ethan, Alex, Collin, Owen, Parker, Dayton, Jacob, Jared, Troy, Sideesh, Danny......names on a roster, players on a team, familiar faces in a crowd. What will happen to our Laker teammates??? Will they continue playing basketball?? Did they learn something from us??? Did they have fun??? Will I ever see them again????

Just like that, it is over......................

I feel an emptiness inside me as I walk through my kitchen door. I know the sadness will pass with time as it always seems to do. Do I really wear my heart on my sleeve??? Is it that obvious?? I thought I was so good at hiding behind my tough exterior. The only one that I am fooling is myself. Is it better to have loved and lost or to never have loved at all??? The answer is obvious to me........why would I want to put myself through the pain and disappointment? Why would I allow myself to be so vulnerable?? Could I, would I allow someone else to get that close to me and be at risk for heartache and sorrow?? Is it REALLY bettter to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?????

Is it spring yet????

Ughhhhhh! I just got in from trying to chip away the ice on my driveway, which by the way could double at the present time as an ice skating rink. After nearly wiping out 5 or 6 times, I decided I better take action before I end up flat on my back with no one to rescue me. I've seen enough of the white stuff and have braved the below zero temperatures long enough this winter - can we get a break one of these days????? I've lived in the balmy state of Wisconsin my ENTIRE life - you'd think that I would be used to this by now except for the fact that this has been the snowiest winter that I've seen in a very long time. I'm not a skier or a snow shoe-er or a snow mobiler so the white powdery substance does nothing for me. If I was an Eskimo or a polar bear perhaps I would have a different outlook on the weather, but I'm not. Every winter I threaten to move to somewhere warm and sunny but I never take action. As I see it, I will probably be a Cheesehead my entire life (although I have seriously considered a move to Portland, OR. For those of you that have never visited Portland, it's a really great place! The people are really low key which I love since I myself prefer to be low key, comfortable and REAL!)
There, I got that out of my system. I typically don't like to complain about the weather because after all, I have made a conscious decision to live in the Midwest and I know what that entails. Tomorrow I will be back to chipping away at the rest of my driveway before the next round of snow comes. I guess that's what makes the arrival of spring such a highly anticipated occurrence.

Newbie

This is my first attempt at entering the world of blogging. I have had my OWN home computer for a grand total of 57 days. I know, I've been living in the dark ages. In actuality, the dark ages really aren't that bad because living there has kept me shielded from the "dark side" of the computer world as well as the world in general. FYI - I'm NOT some recluse so please don't get that impression. I find that it is sometimes easier to live a far more simplistic life than what the 21st century affords. I'm really not up on the latest fashion trends, or who's dating who in Hollywood, or who is the next big name to enter a rehab facility or who is divorcing who. I don't choose to live vicariously through all those reality shows on television - it doesn't interest me to know who the biggest loser is or who is going to be the next American Idol or how the wife swap will turn out. I've never been one for gossip and I'm usually the LAST one to find out things which is fine by me. I have enough things to worry about in my own life without having to get wrapped up in some strangers problems. If people would simply mind their own business, I believe life would be much simpler for many people in this world. I understand that some people revel in the problems of others so that they can forget about all the troubles in their lives for an hour or two each night. More power to them I guess. Someone must be watching them or there wouldn't be so many of those shows on television.