It's been quite a weekend... Ben left Thursday afternoon for his first high school golf trip. I see him growing every day, so I'm not going to be afraid to say, "He's too little to be doing this!"... but he's too little to be doing this. I'm still not sure how I feel about SC letting 7th graders play on a varsity team, but I guess they don't really care what mamas think!
As Ben came off the 18th green today, I looked down at his bag and saw this towel... yes, he stole it from Daddy's stash of towels... but today, I think he would have been so proud of Ben. I felt him there all day long. I had been thinking about Bobby for most of the day because it had been 12 years since his death. I texted another mama and told her I may not be able to hold the tears back because of how proud I was... not of Ben's score, but of his attitude while playing with boys much bigger than him, dealing with terrible conditions of rainy, windy weather, and coming off a two week illness. It all came together for him today... he needed to play well. I can't help but believe that Butchie and Bobby had pulled up a seat to watch this little man battle on the course.
He was so hard on himself, but one day I think he will look back and realize just how well he handled himself on a hard course that didn't give many breaks. I'm proud of you Buddy... I love you the best, the most, and the "goodest".
I'm not real sure if the smiles are from him being finished... or how well he did for conditions. KB and I had to completely change shoes and add more clothes after the first nine. I think I was as miserable as I could be... but I wanted to be there to see him. I'm sure I've never talked more to Jesus than I did today. I talked to Him about how I needed Ben to gain some confidence, to hit that ball straight, and to always 2 putt... it worked for the most part!
I love that he loves her... I love that she loves him. They are dangerous together... but she needs him to tell her how to get places... and he needs her to get him there! When life has me down sometimes, things aren't going like I want, and I wish things were different... I look at them and know that I'm blessed more than I should be. They aren't perfect, but that's okay... they are mine!
He was the first of his team in... so we all stood and watched as the others came through... I love the brotherhood... and parenthood we are building together... we have had more laughs than we should this weekend... but I'm so happy to be a part of this "village"!
He finally took off his rain suit on 18... The man in the green has a son who plays for North Myrtle Beach... when we started he wanted to know how old Ben was... he couldn't get over how little he was... I told him he was growing compared to what he had been... that daddy has a son going to Clemson... I can't imagine Ben being a senior... it goes by quickly... I know that from Sis, so I hope to enjoy every moment with Ben I can... the good and bad shots!
This golf team doesn't know how much they are loved... they never will.... until they have their own children one day... but they are loved! I'm so glad we have the opportunity to follow them around and laugh until we cry, share good and bad putts, and calm them down... even when they aren't our own!
I can't thank the man in the middle enough for taking this group off for three nights... He had to sleep on the floor because of a hotel mixup, he stayed away from his family, and he never once complained! They don't know the bond they are building right now, but they will have something special forever!
I'm still not thawed out, we have enough laundry to fill up a laundromat, we will be tired all week... but IT WAS WORTH EVERY SECOND!
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