Friday, May 17, 2013

Searching for a Memory (Simply a Moment in May)

May 16, 2013, 2:15 p.m.
It's after noon on a weekday, but I'm still in my pajamas. Red flannel pajama pants with an out-of-season Christmas motif and an oversized yellow t-shirt. I'm sitting on our bed, surrounded by Henry's scrapbooks, hunting for a picture I know exists. It the photograph of his very first baseball team: t-ball at age four or five. 
I can see it in my mind . . . he's sitting on the dirt surrounded by friends. So tiny, so cute, so happy. I'm searching because last night at dinner, after their last baseball game (yes, they lost, so it was their last game), we began talking about how long these boys have been playing together.  And which combinations of these nine incredible High School seniors were on those first t-ball teams, all those All Star teams, the teams that went to Cooperstown, etc. I keep flipping through his albums, feeling frustrated in the dim light of our bedroom. It's a foggy, grey day outside.  The dogs are sleeping nearby.  Paul has gone off to get Clara from school.  I'm alone with my thoughts, drifting down memory lane.
I see soccer pictures, basketball pictures, baseball pictures, and in each of the photos, so many of the same faces over and over. There's Henry and Cole, Reese and Peter, dribbling down the basketball court or posing in front of the goal.  I get to the scrapbook with the High School photos and realize that obviously I passed the t-ball photo some time ago.  I pick up his preschool album again, flip it open and finally find the memory I've been searching for:
There's Henry, third from the left, dwarfed by his hat.  The boy on the far left, Austin, is the same boy who's standing just to Henry's right in the Senior photo which Becky gave me last night. The girl in the sunglasses on the far right in the t-ball photo is Chandra, still a good friend, though she now plays softball not baseball.  Looking through the albums I realize why the end of baseball means so much. Although these boys all played baseball and basketball and soccer together through middle school, once they reached High School, they dropped some sports and tended to specialize. Henry was the only one who continued with soccer. Peter took up football. Cole and Reese played a few years of basketball.  But, through all four years of High School, they all played baseball.  
Each spring, they reunited on the diamond with their friends - the same boys who they grew up with, with whom they learned to pitch and field; the same boys with whom they did science fair projects and school plays; the ones who were there for birthday celebrations and trips to prom.  
Through it all, there's been baseball.  Their constant. Their bond. 
And now it's over. 
But they'll always have their memories. 
And, as I heft the albums back onto the book shelves, I am grateful that I have the photos.
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Simply a Moment is a monthly meme hosted by Alexa of Trimming the Sails.  To read other moments in May or to add your own, simply click here.



19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Rinda that is such a beautiful post, filled with love and pride.

debs14 said...

What a lovely post. Those boys really share a special bond don't they?

Linda said...

Lovely story Rinda. How cool that they played together all those years!

Anonymous said...

What a lovely post and so great that they've all been friends all these years.

alexa said...

So glad you found the photo - I was holding my breath! And lovely to see them when they were so little and realise how powerful is the glue holding them together and helping them grow their relationship. Thank-you so much for linking up and joining in again this month, and it is always a pleasure to visit :). Hoping your discovery has lifted some of that grey and gloom outside too!

dogmatix said...

Lovely moment. Really highlights what makes scrapping so special :-)

Dawn said...

Beautiful post and memories, so glad Henry has had that constant through his life!

Ladkyis said...

and right there is the reason I scrapbook. Can you imagine only having that picture in your memory? I look at the more than 50 years of scrap books I have put together and thank heaven and my Dad because he said to me when my daughter was a newborn, "You have to make memories for children, they don't just happen."
Such a lovely moment and so well told

Anonymous said...

oh that made me cry ... i kinda wish Angelina had stuck with ballet or something to have those sorts of bonds.. i can only hope that her best friend she met at 8 in Rainbow will stay her best friend through it all... Henry is a lucky kid!!!

Mariana

Abi said...

Rinda that is amazing being able to play sport for so many years with the same people. What treasured memories both you and Henry will have of that time.

Lou said...

I know exactly how important it was for you to find those photos and i'm glad that you did. A lovely moment to share x

Amy said...

That photo of when they were all little is divine - I love it how Henry's cap is so big!
You have reaffirmed why I think scrapping is so important!

Irene said...

What a cute picture of those baseball kids sitting. What a great moment to share. How time flys.

Becky said...

What a wonderful memory to share - and I just love the photo of Henry in that cute cap :)

scrappyjacky said...

Love Henry 'buried' under his hat!!So glad you found the photo....and what a great bond they have developed.

Sian said...

I know how you feel..it's very hard to get the head round. Very hard.

Complete side note..glad I'm not the only one who wears out of season red flannel pj's

Barbara said...

A wonderful memory of the bond they had, I am pleased you found the photo.

Missus Wookie said...

What a blessing both baseball and their friendships have been. Glad you found and shared the photo.

Miriam said...

Oh Rinda I can feel your pride. How wonderful to have a forever friend. So glad you found that photo.