After the Last Bell Rings

Last night provided an interesting opportunity to not only consciously observe, but participate in the game of life.

My grandson, Colin, plays on his 3rd grade basketball team, the Magics. The team is doing pretty well, winning more games than they lose. Last night they played their next to the last game of the season. I had attended every game by myself.

This time I invited, Ginny, a friend of mine who was also Colin’s, 2nd grade teacher. Since her recent retirement, she has kept herself very busy, but likes to keep in touch with the kids she grew to love. Although she actually came to watch Colin, she also knew several of his team mates because they were her former students. She was in her element cheering everyone on. The Magic’s lost the game, but the team played well.

We had decided to go to dinner after the game and invited Colin to join us. He was thrilled to be included. As we got into my car the first thing Ginny did was praise Colin for immediately fastening his seat belt without being told to.

Moving on to a mutually decided restaurant, again gave Colin a chance to shine. He was the perfect example of a child any grandparent would be proud of. He was well behaved and ate every single bite on his plate. Dinner was a very enjoyable experience for all of us.

Going over the experience this morning I see that if I had not offered a friend the opportunity to join me I would have attended the game alone, come home alone and sat in front of my TV eating dinner alone. I made a great choice.

Ginny had a wonderful time, Colin felt special, I was very proud of him and I enjoyed observing Ginny’s interaction with “her kids”. It is refreshing to know a teacher who truly cares, even after the last bell rings at 3:00 pm.