Saturday was a full day! It started at 6:30am and ended after midnight when we arrived home from our late-night celebration with ice-cream cake. It was a day for celebrating a special birthday and experiencing the transformative magic of “team-play”.
First and foremost, Lauryn, my not-so-little girl, turned 12 on Saturday. The last 12 years of my life have had many moments of joy as a result of her beautiful spirit and loving personality. Shortly after 7am, she left the house to meet up with her volleyball team-mates. Together as a team, they volunteered at the “TriGator for Kids” triathlon race. The day turned out to be warm, sunny and glorious… shining down on a great team experience and a perfect contrast to what had been forecast.
Shortly after they were finished volunteering, Cailyn and I met Lauryn at our friends’ home, where the girls were going to hang out while the “volleyball parents” played golf and had our own get-together. I had reservations about golfing… First of all, it was Lauryn’s birthday, and arranging a scenario where the girls hung out at a friend’s house, while I went off to have my own fun for the balance of the day, certainly didn’t feel right. Secondly, I haven’t golfed for years and showcasing my rusty and unreliable skills with a competitive group of golfers was a little daunting. Last but not least, I wasn’t in a great frame of mind for “playing”. I sometimes am so aware of the weight I feel, as a result of our journey, that it’s hard to lighten up and play… these are the moments that it’s very hard for me to garner the energy to engage in “normal”.
As far as Lauryn was concerned, she was thrilled with the arrangements because it meant she would hang with a few of her friends for the day! Thankfully, the golf game was best ball, which meant that my team’s score couldn’t be horribly impacted by my individual score. And, most importantly, I was able to tap into the great energy and camaraderie provided by my fellow team-mates and engage fully in the fun. This is where the magic comes in. When the day started, I was confident I’d be happier to stay at home. When the day ended, it was crystal clear that the team experience had raised me up and kept me in the moment!! I truly enjoyed the day (and not just because my team won the coveted trophy)! 🙂
We arrived back to our friends’ home shortly before 11pm and I suggested that, because we were so late, we would share the birthday cake with our friends the next day. This suggestion was met with many groans and refrains because they had done what we asked (left the cake alone)… very tough to argue with that!! So… we finished a great day in a delicious way… with Lauryn’s ice cream birthday cake! It was a magical day of sharing experiences with friends! Happy Birthday, Lauryn!