This was a weekend of teams for me. I spent time with my extended family to celebrate 3 birthdays (mine included); I watched Lauryn’s 12U volleyball team play 7 matches at the Ontario 13U Provincials; and, I hung out with the volleyball parents.
I love teams! I always have. We encounter teams all the way through our lives, from family to sports to work to healthcare. Some teams are “more fun” than others, but the bottom-line is that within each team experience there is an opportunity to grow, to learn, and to have fun.
This weekend was filled with several examples!
Extended Family: I am blessed with an extended family that truly values time with each other. Our 4 households get together frequently throughout the year to celebrate special moments. We had a fantastic visit, sharing laughs and updates… I certainly took advantage of this time to share my pictures of Cailyn’s foot! We enjoyed a Skype visit with my niece – she is finishing off her school year in Grenoble; and, I learned more about the head-space my nephews are in, as they actively participated in our conversation. After dinner, four of us went out and threw football (I got my warm-up by running to my car so I could move it in front of the building – thankfully, I beat my brother to the spot 🙂 !!) The afternoon / evening was exceptional.
12U Volleyball Team: For the Provincial 13U tournament, Lauryn’s team was seeded 24th out of 64 teams… pretty fantastic considering their younger age and fewer years of experience! There were plenty of opportunities across the 3 days for the girls to grow in their resilience and knowledge of both the game AND what it means to be a team member! The growth in their skills over this last year has been amazing. They will likely have one last “fun” tournament before they’re officially finished for the season… which is great, because I don’t believe anyone is ready for it to be over!
Volleyball Parents: The great team dynamic seen between the girls is mirrored by the parents’ team dynamic. I was sharing with Lauryn that her desire to play volleyball is having a wonderfully positive impact on me. The time she spends at practice and matches is time that I get to spend with a great group of people. At an impromptu gathering after the match yesterday, the parents were louder than the kids… leaving the fun environment took some effort but was made a little easier with the knowledge that we had our next get-together planned!!
Among all the craziness of this weekend, I treasure most the moment when Lauryn went over to thank Cailyn for coming to watch her play… it was the longest hug in the world!
Yes… teams enrich our lives and I’m thankful!!