The Senior Game

You are my sunshine, my favorite sunshine.  You make me happy when skies are grey.  You’ll never know Dear how much I love you.  You are my sweet Mina girl.

My daughter informs me of the Volleyball Senior Game night so I can put it in my schedule. I get a warm fuzzy feeling while I mark this much awaited event.

Mina’s Senior year will be filled with what I call, “the rights of passage”.  We have already finished her Senior photos.  That day when her photos were shot, the air was filled with whispers of hope and promises of good things to come.  I relish in these events and when she is off to college, I will hold these memories close to my heart.

The big day arrives and I check in with Mina as to what time I need to be at the game.  She informs me to be there at 5:30.  The day is filled with working out and trying to clean and running Sam to where he needs to be.  At 4:30 we arrive at Hochstein for Sam to work with his Therapist.  I run into a Mom who often crosses my path making me think that there has to be some reason why we meet in so many different places.  I want to stay and visit but Sam and his Therapist come out of the Music Lab.  I look at the clock and panic, “I would love to stay and chat but I am late!’

I head home driving way to fast.  I am kicking myself for not being ready.  My negative thoughts start reverberating on how I never learn to better manage my time.  My train of thinking changes tracks to, “Mina does not deserve for me to be late.”  Actually this thought was screaming in my head.

I drop off Sam at the house where his respite worker was waiting.  I rush into the house, get changed and slab on makeup.  The negative thoughts continue, “If only you were organized.”  I run out the door while looking back saying, “See you later!”

I hop into the van and arrive at the school at 5:33.  I run to the doors of the school.   My pounding footsteps are in time with my chant, “I can’t miss this!  I can’t miss this!”  I continue running down the hall feeling the dryness in the back of my throat.  A million thoughts go round and round.  Memories flood through the gates of being bullied by the Moms at the old low-income apartment complex.  The pain resurfaces of having to leave Mina in the care of others while I escaped to the playground to keep Sam and me safe.  Mina had to experience the nightmare of her friends losing their parents because the ones that were supposed to take care of their children chose drugs instead.  It was Mina who got the Renter’s Guide and networked with her friends to find the place that we have now. 

I walk into the Gym to bypass the parents to sit with Mina.  I climb up the bleachers and sit with my daughter and her friends.

"Mom what are you doing here?  Why aren’t you sitting with the other parents?” 

 "I want to sit here with you,” I lovingly reply.

I open the program and read what Mina wrote.

Mina, defensive specialist, is hoping to attend Philadelphia University for Architecture.  In her free time, she enjoys designing/sewing clothes and being part of the Color Guard.  She loves all music - except country!  One of her favorite memories was dancing at last year’s team bonding party and OF COURSE beating Hilton!  Her inspiration comes from her Mom who has showed her the strength and determination necessary to always achieve greatness.

“Oh Mina, this really makes my day.  Thank you,” I say while fighting tears.

“Your Mom is so nice,” her friends respond in their beautiful sing-song voices.

I get my fill of the kids.  I say my goodbyes and sit with the parents.  I am not at many games and I had a lovely chat with a husband and wife.  We laughed as they were telling me that they saw me run into the school.  I sat and became frustrated because I thought my camera broke.  I was pushing every button to discover that I had the screen off.  I asked the husband if he would take pictures for me as I hear, “We would like to introduce our first Senior, Mina Bellare and her Mom.”  Crap, I give the guy the camera and walk over to Mina.  The announcer reads Mina’s incredible message as we both walked out onto the floor.  Mina and I listen as her friend reads her well wishes while we all had tears in our eyes.  We had our picture taken and I go and sit back down to wait for the game to begin.  I watch as Mina starts in the game.  The excitement builds as I see her hit the ball over the net.  “Woo Hoo!  Way to go Mina!” 

I made it and I wasn’t late.

Bragging rights:

Mina with her freinds before the game:

The moment we had been waiting for:

Mina's Senior poster:

Definition of Mental

1.a: of, relating to, or being intellectual as contrasted with overt physical activity.

2.a: of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder <mental patient>.

b: mentally disordered, mad, crazy.

I choose being an intellectual as my definition of being mental.

*The photo that I use for my background was taken by Sam.