Another Thing Missed

Two weeks into high school and we're $400 dollars poorer.  That's not even from buying new school clothes and supplies.  Gage made the football team!

He's been going to tryouts and practices since the week prior to school even starting.  I'm liking his determination.  Anyway, he found out he made the team.  I'm still not sure yet what position he'll be playing but it will likely involve running, since he's pretty fast.

I believe his first game is next week but I suspect I won't get to attend too many as they are usually in the afternoons.  Probably not a bad thing since it will be crazy cold soon and I have NO idea how the game of football works. 

This news comes to us with bittersweet emotions.  I'm so glad and happy for Gage that he made the team.  He wanted to so badly.  I'm so relieved that he's getting involved in school activities, because I'm pretty sure in order to have a great high school 'career' you need to be involved.  I want his memories of high school to be great (like I have of my years). 

The overwhelming sad feeling I have that he made the team goes back to my dad.  Of course.  Yet another thing he's missing out on that he would have been totally stoked about.  My dad was a huge football fan.  In fact when my brother was born one of the first things my dad got him was a football and his hope was that my brother would be a football player.  That didn't come to fruition but they did enjoy many hours together watching other people play football and my dad was content with that.  I just know though he would have been elated to learn of Gage making the football team and he would have done his damnedest to be at as many games and practices as possible.  So for that reason I'm bummed.  I'm bummed that his 'dreams' for his son skipped past him and landed on his grandson and he's not going to be here to partake in the excitement with us.  I'm sad that he won't be able to share tips with Gage and 'coach' from the sidelines like he did in soccer.  I'm truly upset that I won't hear his screaming and yelling (all in positive ways of course!) from the bleachers and neither will Gage or anyone else for that matter.  I'm depressed that I didn't get to see his face as Gage told him.  I can only imagine the smile....

He was taken way too early.