Today is my daughter's team party marking the end of the softball season. It's bittersweet, really. It was a great season, but all good things must come to an end. There is a sense of relief not to have to get to the game, remember the snack shack schedule, etc... There is also a sense of loss. The excitement of the ups and downs of watching the games, the comraderie that has developed between the parents in the stands, and the sweet friendships that have developed between the girls.
I can't help but think about all of the amazing gifts that came from this softball season. We have met several families that I feel so blessed to call my new friends. My daughter's face lights up as she talks about an amazing play or an unexpected moment in a game. Sometimes, she still talks about a game several weeks ago. I know she really loves this sport! She has truly learned the meaning of the phrase, "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." I'm grateful to my husband, the coach, because when he talks to the girls after the game he doesn't say anything about the win or the loss; he asks the girls, "Did you have fun?" That's what it's all about!