It will be July 26th (or so) before my family is back together again. Jamie and Sophie left this morning to go to youth camp at Logan Valley Christian Retreat, one of the best retreat centers on the planet. Matt (Day #35) is on staff and promised to take good care of them. While Jamie will come home on Friday, Sophie is staying for another week to volunteer. Washing dishes is good for the soul. Kaylea leaves on Thursday for her school trip to Europe — all the prayers requested. And I’ll be headed to the Field of Dreams the day before she returns. For the family that travelled 5,000 miles together and lived to delight in the adventures, going different directions this month will take some adjusting.
Jamie took the Bryan family Millennium Falcon to camp because it is the best vehicle for making long trips seem short, whether Kessel runs or trips to Florida. That means Kaylea and I will be sharing our Skywalker land-speeder. Though it has a fair number of dents and dings, probably Tusken Raiders, it is still perfect for in-town trips and comfortably seats two people with enough room for gloves or a droid in the back seat.
Adam (Day #114) brought his son Josh to meet me and Kaylea at Fassnight Field. Since our last game of catch, Adam had a brief stint in the hospital. Thankfully, everything is on the mend. Clouds blocked the sun and the neighboring city pool was empty which made for a delightfully quiet time on the field. Josh, who last played catch at some point in elementary school, is the spitting image of his dad–epic facial hair included.
We spread out around the infield at different distances. Playing catch with a variety of heights — from 5’3” to 6’3” — at a variety of distances puts one’s depth-perception to test.
Kaylea played Little Wonders on the way to the field and the chorus echoed in my brain as the four of us tossed the ball:
Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours
These small hours still remain
I am beyond grateful for the small hours of catch I’ve accrued every day this year. The friends and family who have spent time with me are part of the little wonders that make every day truly a gift.
Kaylea and I stopped for a Dr Pepper and donuts afterwards. We found a bottle that perfectly summarized this year of playing catch and this summer of travel.
Side Note: Congrats to the SEMO War Eagles on winning the USSSA 12UAA Championship at the Branson World Series and a huge tip of the hat to Beau (Day #167) for being awarded tournament MVP!
