t-ball makes me cry

wow, that was a big picture on my last post - huh?
maybe i won't add pictures from my phone anymore!

so, tonight was the first night of winona park & rec t-ball, and both my niece and nephew are participating.  it was fun.  my niece was a little hesitant to run across the field with her new teammates for their first big huddle, which i can completely understand - her first team sport, a little intimidating... so, i ran across with her and sat with her through their meeting, and then she ran off and played - wonderfully, i might add.  i saw one of my old students from the preschool too, when i sat down with my niece, he got up from his spot and came over and plopped down next to me, exclaiming, "I like you!"  that was sweet. 

when my niece took her first run around the bases, the tears began to flow.  then my nephew, more tears.  i just got this overwhelming feeling about how proud my dad, their grandpa, and joe, their *favorite* uncle, would be of them... uff-da.  how life would be so much different if they were both sitting their cheering them on.  i felt like i was punched in the gut.  then, they ran the bases some more, and threw the balls around, and i wasn't so sad anymore.  until djoe and i were leaving.  i'm pushing her in the stroller across the grass towards the parking lot, when i see a boy with his parents squatting down behind him, beaming with delight, getting a photo taken of the three of them.  punch in the gut #2.  we will never have any photo like that.  djoe won't have her dad in the stands at t-ball, dance recitals, band concerts, graduation.  this punch in the gut made me feel like i was going to lose my lunch, but i collected myself.

unfortunately, i don't have any t-ball pictures to share since i have been getting real good at letting my phone run out of battery life, and tonight was one of those times.