For Isaiah

Naturally I am posting this for all our family and friends to see, but this one is directed at my amazing nephew, Isaiah.

Isaiah is a great soccer player (as is his brother), but a little more scary, he is a great goalie. That means at times it is Isaiah and the other team, Isaiah owns the net he protects, and his mother has to watch over and over praying that today, he is not injured (high probability as a goalie), and that he comes up victorious.

I have never been able to make the trip over two and a half states to see either of my amazing nephews play soccer. I have had to experience their successes vicariously through their mother's blog and videos they are kind enough to burn so I can watch them over and over again. One thing I know is that Isaiah is above average when it comes to the PK. This is the event that separates goalies from wannabes. If you don't know what I mean, ask someone who plays soccer.

Isaiah, yesterday Uncle Jeremy and I played soccer for the first time in far too long. We joined a group of crazy people, who play for 2 straight hours, just for the joy of the game. Uncle Jeremy would have made you proud. He was all over the field, even scoring 2 goals (2/3 hat trick). He was amazing. But what made me think of you was the last time he rotated into goal, he was blocking everything, looked like a real goalie.

I didn't see the foul in the box, my blisters had taken me off the field, and I was busy stealing Uncle Jeremy's coat when I realized how cold it was to stand still. I heard laughter on the field so I looked up and realized they were lining up a PK against my husband. I thought of your mother, and how she must feel every time someone lines up against you, that person wanting badly to get that ball past you into the net. I thought of how you must feel when you see that ball, the tension of waiting, wondering which direction to choose.

I am happy to say that Uncle Jeremy stopped the ball cold, much like you do over an over.

You would have been proud.

I was.