Holding my great-niece in the waters of the beautiful Gulf of Mexico was relaxing and restorative. We were having fun chatting, laughing and riding the waves. At times we had to really jump to anticipate the arrival of the waves in perfect harmony. We were enjoying an annual tradition heading to the beach to the white sands and emerald waters.
As the waves increased in size and force, seven year old Opal said : “There may be more waves coming and we don’t know when they will get to us but it’s okay. We can handle it.” She was grinning when she announced that fact. She was calm and yet excited in a giddy way. She was looking over my shoulder toward the rest of the ocean. She did not see anything we could not outwit or thwart. But the waves were not arriving in a predictable pattern. No worries. We were an able team ready to conquer whatever came our way. She was neither frightened nor concerned. She looked me square in the eyes and said “ we’ve got this.” Her wisdom was profound and pure.
I had imagined myself to be her protector holding her and keeping her head above water. I thought I was secretly keeping her safe from all sea creatures real and imagined. And I was protecting her as evidenced by the grip she had on my neck. But in that moment she was reminding me of our strength together and our ability to ride out any size wave whether unexpected or not. We laughed and continued to conquer the ripples and swells.
In the past few months I have heard and read priests, authors, friends, poets, physicians , counselors, survivors and therapists refer to the arrival of grief in waves. My mother died in March and Opal’s brilliance was revealed to me a few months later. ( She had already revealed her brilliance in countless other ways but the wave analogy landed during this trip.) Her words were comforting in a way she could not have imagined. Grief comes in tremendous waves at expected times and other times knocking you off your feet. Her innocent genuine assurance that we can handle it had perfect timing.
Simply saying, writing or thinking that my mother died hurts in ways beyond description. Grief can be a tsunami of emotion and pain or a single tear trickling down my face. One day it’s the wave that slaps you in the face and other days you get the full effect knocking you down and sending saltwater in to your eyes, up your nose and through your throat. Grief can be subtle or obvious. The same is true for love. The constant unconditional love of a great-niece always bringing a smile to your face and a reminder that we can handle whatever waves come our way. It is life-affirming. It is grounding. It is priceless.
Watching Opal interact with seagulls on that same trip solidified her Jedi-status with me. They swooped down toward her outstretched hand and she released giggly screams but she stood her ground. She was fearless. With each successful exchange , girl-to-gull, she grinned in delight. When she grew tired of that activity, she summoned me to join her in the sea. We went out hand-in-hand to jump the waves yet again.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Friday, December 20, 2019
Back to Back World Champs, USWNT
The World Cup Champions USWNT consists of the best athletes and possibly greatest soccer coach of all time. Coach Jill Ellis is a rock star. Several team members became icons. As a team they played with outstanding talent and fierce determination also exhibited in their fight for equal pay. And in 2019, they gave us something to cheer about.
Just when you thought no one and no team could give our nation the same grit and amazing athleticism of Abby Wambach, Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers and other players from previous United States soccer championship teams... here come these ladies. Some you have seen before. Proven performers. Some less known. But all now forming an Ellis-coached precisely placed team. Each with a role. All with a vision. These warriors. These champions.
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan each had 6 goals and 3 assists. Rapinoe had 16 corner kicks. Both women are exceptional athletes. Rapinoe was the most valuable player and was limited to play in 5 of 7 games due to injury. She was also awarded the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament. She is an extraordinary player. Tobin Heath was a beast. Unfreakingbelievable footwork. Where’s the ball ? The opponent had it. Now Tobin has it. Bravo. All three of these players put on a show. Tobin’s goals had a way of being nullified. She scored and then the officials decided there was an infraction by another player. Hmm. Really?
When you think of 2019, remember the brilliance this team displayed. They all put on a show. We had front row seats watching at home on our televisions. Jill Ellis, calm and calculating, subbing players with precise timing and perfect instructions. Her team was fit, strong, smart, conditioned and ready. They dominated.
Alyssa Naeher denied goals over and over. Carli Lloyd , Julie Ertz and Kelley O’Hara were unstoppable. Christen Press, Becky Sauerbrunn, Samantha Méwis, Crystal Dunn and AbbyDahlkemper were incredible. Rose Lavelle had 3 goals, as did Lloyd. Lindsey Horan and Mewis had 2 goals. Mallory Pugh and Press had one goal each. Mewis had three assists. O’ Hara, Horan and Davidson had two assists each. Heath, Press, Dunn and Pugh had one assist each. Again, Heath was robbed there. They were a machine.
Ashlyn Harris, Adrianna France, Ali Krueger, Emily Sonnet, Tierra Davidson, Morgan Brian, Allie Long and Jessica McDonald are all integral parts of this machine. They were such a cohesive unit of skill both mental and physical. Each individual player brought a particular strength that made the collective unit unbeatable. And they were a joy to watch.
Naeher played 630 minutes. Dahlkemper played 622 minutes. Dunn and Sauerbrunn played 540 minutes each. Heath played 494, O’ Hara 492 and Morgan 490. Ertz played 474, Mewis 467, Rapinoe 428 and Lavelle 427.
Every second of those minutes were phenomenal soccer. The artistry. The power. The strength. The resilience. The tenacity. The joy when a teammate executed a moment of soccer perfection. The laughs when some lucky thing happened on the field. The gentle jabbing of younger players unsure of how to celebrate.
June 11/2019 the United States National Women’s Team beat Thailand 13-0. June 16/2019 the USWNT beat Chile 3-0. June 20/2019 the United States National Women’s Team beat Sweden 2-0. Then the knockout round : June 24/2019 the USWNT beat Spain 2-1. June 28/2019 the USWNT beat France 2-1. July 2/2019 the USWNT beat England 2-1.
And on the 7 th of July 2019, the USWNT became four-time World Cup Champions beating the Netherlands 2-0. History-making and record-breaking, these women became the first US team to win back-to-back World Cup titles. Goals from Rapinoe and Lavelle clinched the win with incredible play from the entire team.
The USWNT was held scoreless in the first half. It was dramatic. It was tough but they had faced obstacles before. Penalties. Injuries. Bad calls. Missed calls. Nothing was going to stop this train.
Note that in the finals both teams had female coaches. Jill Ellis for the United States and Sarina Wiegman for the Netherlands.
These coaches and players have done so much for the game of soccer. They have fueled interest in young girls and boys who might want to play. They have caught the attention of fans/ viewers and thus corporate sponsors and they continue to educate and fight for equal pay. They have increased attendance at such a pace that their venues for matches continue to increase in size. Their matches are watched on television by much larger numbers of viewers.
Jill Ellis left France with her World Cup Champion team and continued to coach until her retirement in October of 2019. The English born Ellis coached the USWNT for 5 years winning two FIFA World Cups. Her steady approach outwitting her opponents and utilizing her players will be missed. She was the mastermind.
There were so many moments with this team. The hugs. The slides. The blood. The embraces. The goals. The assists. The jaw-dropping unbelievable kicks. The celebrations. The young fans with signs of support — both girls and boys. The national pride. The chants of USA ! The flags waving. The balls in the net. The matches can be watched repeatedly with no less excitement or thrill. They were fun to watch. They gave us something to cheer about . Remember them when you reflect on 2019.
Just when you thought no one and no team could give our nation the same grit and amazing athleticism of Abby Wambach, Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers and other players from previous United States soccer championship teams... here come these ladies. Some you have seen before. Proven performers. Some less known. But all now forming an Ellis-coached precisely placed team. Each with a role. All with a vision. These warriors. These champions.
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan each had 6 goals and 3 assists. Rapinoe had 16 corner kicks. Both women are exceptional athletes. Rapinoe was the most valuable player and was limited to play in 5 of 7 games due to injury. She was also awarded the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament. She is an extraordinary player. Tobin Heath was a beast. Unfreakingbelievable footwork. Where’s the ball ? The opponent had it. Now Tobin has it. Bravo. All three of these players put on a show. Tobin’s goals had a way of being nullified. She scored and then the officials decided there was an infraction by another player. Hmm. Really?
When you think of 2019, remember the brilliance this team displayed. They all put on a show. We had front row seats watching at home on our televisions. Jill Ellis, calm and calculating, subbing players with precise timing and perfect instructions. Her team was fit, strong, smart, conditioned and ready. They dominated.
Alyssa Naeher denied goals over and over. Carli Lloyd , Julie Ertz and Kelley O’Hara were unstoppable. Christen Press, Becky Sauerbrunn, Samantha Méwis, Crystal Dunn and AbbyDahlkemper were incredible. Rose Lavelle had 3 goals, as did Lloyd. Lindsey Horan and Mewis had 2 goals. Mallory Pugh and Press had one goal each. Mewis had three assists. O’ Hara, Horan and Davidson had two assists each. Heath, Press, Dunn and Pugh had one assist each. Again, Heath was robbed there. They were a machine.
Ashlyn Harris, Adrianna France, Ali Krueger, Emily Sonnet, Tierra Davidson, Morgan Brian, Allie Long and Jessica McDonald are all integral parts of this machine. They were such a cohesive unit of skill both mental and physical. Each individual player brought a particular strength that made the collective unit unbeatable. And they were a joy to watch.
Naeher played 630 minutes. Dahlkemper played 622 minutes. Dunn and Sauerbrunn played 540 minutes each. Heath played 494, O’ Hara 492 and Morgan 490. Ertz played 474, Mewis 467, Rapinoe 428 and Lavelle 427.
Every second of those minutes were phenomenal soccer. The artistry. The power. The strength. The resilience. The tenacity. The joy when a teammate executed a moment of soccer perfection. The laughs when some lucky thing happened on the field. The gentle jabbing of younger players unsure of how to celebrate.
June 11/2019 the United States National Women’s Team beat Thailand 13-0. June 16/2019 the USWNT beat Chile 3-0. June 20/2019 the United States National Women’s Team beat Sweden 2-0. Then the knockout round : June 24/2019 the USWNT beat Spain 2-1. June 28/2019 the USWNT beat France 2-1. July 2/2019 the USWNT beat England 2-1.
And on the 7 th of July 2019, the USWNT became four-time World Cup Champions beating the Netherlands 2-0. History-making and record-breaking, these women became the first US team to win back-to-back World Cup titles. Goals from Rapinoe and Lavelle clinched the win with incredible play from the entire team.
The USWNT was held scoreless in the first half. It was dramatic. It was tough but they had faced obstacles before. Penalties. Injuries. Bad calls. Missed calls. Nothing was going to stop this train.
Note that in the finals both teams had female coaches. Jill Ellis for the United States and Sarina Wiegman for the Netherlands.
These coaches and players have done so much for the game of soccer. They have fueled interest in young girls and boys who might want to play. They have caught the attention of fans/ viewers and thus corporate sponsors and they continue to educate and fight for equal pay. They have increased attendance at such a pace that their venues for matches continue to increase in size. Their matches are watched on television by much larger numbers of viewers.
Jill Ellis left France with her World Cup Champion team and continued to coach until her retirement in October of 2019. The English born Ellis coached the USWNT for 5 years winning two FIFA World Cups. Her steady approach outwitting her opponents and utilizing her players will be missed. She was the mastermind.
There were so many moments with this team. The hugs. The slides. The blood. The embraces. The goals. The assists. The jaw-dropping unbelievable kicks. The celebrations. The young fans with signs of support — both girls and boys. The national pride. The chants of USA ! The flags waving. The balls in the net. The matches can be watched repeatedly with no less excitement or thrill. They were fun to watch. They gave us something to cheer about . Remember them when you reflect on 2019.
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