{"id":1511,"date":"2014-11-06T01:17:54","date_gmt":"2014-11-06T01:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kandynolesstevens.com\/?p=1511"},"modified":"2014-11-06T01:17:54","modified_gmt":"2014-11-06T01:17:54","slug":"on-hallowed-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/?p=1511","title":{"rendered":"On hallowed ground"},"content":{"rendered":"

To my son \u2013<\/p>\n

I have struggled writing this \u201cletter\u201d to you, because there is something so final in it. I am not good with endings. But I don\u2019t think dreamers ever really are. As a lot, we are always watching the world, and fervently hoping that our will aligns with God\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n

Two weeks ago, you were standing on hallowed ground. I don\u2019t know if anyone else realized it, but I certainly did as I stood next to your adopted \u201cauntie\u201d. We stood cheering and hoping, hoping and cheering for our sons for whom we wished the cool, crisp nights, warmth of blanket bundles, smell of fresh grass, and glare of stadium lights would last forever.<\/p>\n

Even though my dreamer heart doesn\u2019t want to admit it, many good things do come to their ends. When the clock ran out of time, it was if the last sand in my heart\u2019s hourglass poured out. Something you had fought so hard for was over. There are many who conditioned and practiced, but none that I know who went through more to be a part of the team. Even though you were often ridiculed, overlooked, and disappointed, you never gave up. Surgery after surgery, you never wavered in your dedication. You simply wanted to play the game you love. If I have never told you, I admire your courage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Senior<\/a>

Senior year – Photo by Devereaux Photography, Greg Devereaux<\/p><\/div>\n

You might be wondering what I mean by hallowed ground since the final game of your football career was at an opposing team\u2019s field. After waiting almost three years to be able to play again, the first step you took to play the game you shared with your brother took place on the very field\u00a0where your final steps to\u00a0a locker room occurred. The poignancy of that moment was not lost on me. Hallowed ground! I almost daresay it was sacred ground because Reed\u2019s first game as a Laker was played on that very field too. Maybe, just maybe, the warmth I suddenly felt in your final minutes was one of his signature sneak-up-behind-you heavenly hugs, telling me, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Mom! We are going to be okay!<\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Your<\/a>

Your first step back on the field, hallowed ground. Photo courtesy of Gail Gregoire.<\/p><\/div>\n

Letting go of a lifelong pursuit takes time, and thankfully, you eased the pain by having one more weekend as a coach for your Special Olympics football team. The joy I see in your face when you practice and coach your team is only rivalled by watching the parents of your players. I see in their eyes the respect they have for a young man who picked their sons first, something that many of them probably don\u2019t get to experience all the time. If only my heart could tell theirs, you understand how that feels, and you pour your whole heart into making the game fun for them all. I watch as you tell them you believe in them and you are so proud of them. My heart soars. If I have never told you, I admire your\u00a0spirit for how it\u00a0seeks to help\u00a0others. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"pumas<\/a><\/p>\n

I know you were hoping for another gold medal for your Pumas, but there\u2019s nothing shabby about bronze, especially when you coach with honor and dignity. Just like I have watched your Granpa Junior for years, I could see your thoughts were playing out every moment questioning if there was anything you could have done differently. Let me tell you, son. There are lots of things that could have been tried, but you did the one thing that hundreds didn\u2019t do. You showed up! You gave of your time and talents \u2013 all for the love of your game. Quietly, on the long road home, you said something that I will hold in my soul for a very long time. You were looking ahead for who could replace you as coach when you go away to college next year. It can\u2019t just be anybody, Mom. It has to be someone with a servant\u2019s heart. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I was trying so hard not to let you see my tears. They were a jumbled mixture of eclectic, cathartic tears.\u00a0Tears\u00a0of bitterness for all you have had to endure.\u00a0 Tears of joy that you were\u00a0made of the right stuff to\u00a0overcome all of that. Huge tears for the void where football used to be.\u00a0Tears of sadness that the journey has come to an end. Tears of pride. Tears of wonder that God could use your injuries to\u00a0teach us all kinds of things about life and loving his people.\u00a0\u00a0If I have never told you, I love your big servant\u2019s heart<\/em><\/strong>. I admire the way you use it to love others.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In every definition of the word, that is a true champion to me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you for all the fun memories from flag football to varsity starter, and especially as a coach. This football loving momma will cherish them always.<\/p>\n

Loving you from the sidelines for a long time and loving you always forever \u2013<\/p>\n

Faith – Family – Football<\/em><\/p>\n

Momma<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To my son \u2013 I have struggled writing this \u201cletter\u201d to you, because there is something so final in it. I am not good with endings. But I don\u2019t think dreamers ever really are. As a lot, we are always watching the world, and fervently hoping that our will aligns with God\u2019s heart. Two weeks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1511"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1511\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.realsweetgrace.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}