Perfect afternoon

There are moments when it all comes together. Those times, be they an afternoon, an hour or just a few minutes, when all the baggage just melts away and I breathe and actually relax. Yesterday afternoon was one of those rare times. Cassidy had scored a goal in her morning soccer game and her team came home victoriuos. Loren has become the goal keeper coach for Cass’ team and he was not only pleased with the girls’ performance, he was laudatory of Cassidy, a fact that left her beaming for several hours. My mother had taken the kids to the game and on the way home they stopped for a new pair of shin guards for Cass -since she has been wearing a hand me down pair from Loren and they completely engulf her scrawy little legs, leaving rashes on them after every practice and game. Loren also bought himself a new soccer ball with his very own money, since he has already lost two this season.
Before Loren’s game I dropped Cassidy off for an afternoon birthday party and then headed to the field with Devon and my father’s dog, Kaitlyn. He used to take her everywhere and spoiled her something fierce. For some reason she has targeted me as her entertainment coordinator and so insists that everyday I take her out to throw the ball and haul her around in my car. Her personality is uncannily similar to Cassidy’s and so I choose not to mess with karma and indulge her canine ways. If I don’t cater to her demands she spends her day nipping at my heels and herding me towards the front door to taker her out for a walk. So we trooped off to the field with tennis balls in hand to watch Loren in his game.
It was one of those games where Loren played the whole game and actually got his first goal in the competitive league. It was the last goal of the game and he got it in just minutes before the whistle blew. I was so proud that it was all I could do not to run on to the field and scoop up his ever growing frame into my arms and whoop and holler and scream, “This is my baby! He got the goal! He got it, just him!” But I held back and casually approached him after the game when all the handshakes and coach talks had taken place. I walked up to him and whispered in his year, “You did it! Wahooo!” He looked back at me, trying to be casual and cool, but then broke into a huge smile as whispered back in my ear, “Did you see it, Mom? I got it! Before the game I asked Pop for some help and he was listening! Can you believe it? He’s here and I know he saw it!” We both looked at each other with tears in our eyes and I said,”Of course he was, he wouldn’t have missed it for the world. No matter where he is, he’ll always be watching.”