I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but during May and June I referee swim meets for our neighborhood swim team. Two of my kids were on the team for years and I volunteered on the team board, and have officiated meets for 12 years now.
My kids are grown and I haven't had a kid on the team for four seasons now, but, I still ref because they need me to and well, because despite my grumbling about doing it at times, I find that I simply enjoy watching these kids grow up.
One of 'my kids' aged out last year and graduated high school. I watched this boy grow up from the 6 and under category all the way to becoming a young man. When he was younger, he had some behavioral issues (he was a little jerk sometimes as boys will often be) but as he grew up, he became so kind and polite, not to mention, the young man was one hell of a swimmer. His butterfly stroke is something of text-book quality... I digress.
Matt graduated high school last year and married his high school sweetheart. His mother, who still volunteers on the team as an official (she has nieces and nephews on the team), was at the meet yesterday and I asked how Matt was doing and mentioned that I heard that he had gotten married.
Come to find out.... he married his girlfriend so soon because he was leaving to go into the Navy and he is currently undergoing training with the SEALS.... His wife will finish college and will join him once he's not living on base 24/7 which is in a couple of years.
When Matt's mother told me this, I was literally floored and tears welled up in my eyes as I told her how proud I was of him and asked her to be sure to thank him for me. I will keep that young man in my prayers and I know, given the kind of young man that he turned out to be, that I am truly blessed to live in a country where young men like him exist.
So to Matt.... good luck and godspeed... hang in there through Hell Week and thank you.
As I express here quite often, but probably not often enough... to our men and women who are currently serving and to all who have in the past..... thank you. Without all of you who have and continue to protect our freedoms, it would be impossible for me to post to this blog, or exercise my God-given right to self defense.
Freedom is never free.
I am truly humbled.
My kids are grown and I haven't had a kid on the team for four seasons now, but, I still ref because they need me to and well, because despite my grumbling about doing it at times, I find that I simply enjoy watching these kids grow up.
One of 'my kids' aged out last year and graduated high school. I watched this boy grow up from the 6 and under category all the way to becoming a young man. When he was younger, he had some behavioral issues (he was a little jerk sometimes as boys will often be) but as he grew up, he became so kind and polite, not to mention, the young man was one hell of a swimmer. His butterfly stroke is something of text-book quality... I digress.
Matt graduated high school last year and married his high school sweetheart. His mother, who still volunteers on the team as an official (she has nieces and nephews on the team), was at the meet yesterday and I asked how Matt was doing and mentioned that I heard that he had gotten married.
Come to find out.... he married his girlfriend so soon because he was leaving to go into the Navy and he is currently undergoing training with the SEALS.... His wife will finish college and will join him once he's not living on base 24/7 which is in a couple of years.
When Matt's mother told me this, I was literally floored and tears welled up in my eyes as I told her how proud I was of him and asked her to be sure to thank him for me. I will keep that young man in my prayers and I know, given the kind of young man that he turned out to be, that I am truly blessed to live in a country where young men like him exist.
So to Matt.... good luck and godspeed... hang in there through Hell Week and thank you.
As I express here quite often, but probably not often enough... to our men and women who are currently serving and to all who have in the past..... thank you. Without all of you who have and continue to protect our freedoms, it would be impossible for me to post to this blog, or exercise my God-given right to self defense.
Freedom is never free.
I am truly humbled.
