Spring Training

The cool breeze blew against the heat on my back and head as I stood in the afternoon sun. The clear skies provided no resistance to the brilliance of golden sunshine in these waning days of winter. As Spring officially comes a mere few days away, the plants and animals have not waited for our interpretation of seasons, but have followed more accurately the marks of time passing in nature and have exploded in a plethora of sensations.

Flowers, shrubs, and trees are erupting in buds and their scented petals permeate all outside spaces. Even the grass seems to take on a richer color and texture and though the trees still have no leaves, there is scattered shade casting patterns over the ground lending its design to the dramatic scene. As the chill of winter abates and the browns and grays of winter are arrayed in magnificent greens of seemingly infinite shades and hues, everything I see is catapulted from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Winter, in its subdued veil, lacks the vibrancy and the exuberance of Spring through its season of sleep. And now, the land is waking up. All around the signs of life are in abundant evidence, filling up the void of the cold that has preceded the past few months. Birds, squirrels, rabbits, and all manner of forest creatures are moving about and welcoming the return of Spring.

Looking around in the quiet of a country life, you feel comforted that all is as it should be. Life returns, and breathing deeply in the clean Spring air, you not only see life return to the land, you can actually feel it.

Standing there in this scene, I don an old leather ball glove, its feel is smooth and worn with the smell of the old leather tickling memories in my brain as I hold it to my head to shade my eyes a moment. Standing across from me, one of my little girls stands with glove on and ball in hand. It' is again softball season in our rural wonderland.

My 9 yo asked me Friday afternoon to throw with her this weekend. And I would not let such an opportunity pass. It seems that time is precious in my current stage of life. Working through the week away from the house and having only the weekends to achieve true quality time with the family, life has become an act of artful balance, and I don't always stay balanced. But I try.

And so on Sunday afternoon, amidst the beauty of the world around me, there was the unmistakable "thwack" of a softball connecting directly into a ball glove while an exuberant 5 yo bounced in near continuity on the trampoline. A little while passed and the rest of the family returned from drama team practice at church. And so I was now joined by my wife and my 11 yo daughter who put on gloves and we created a throwing pattern of all four of us.

After watching this a short while, my 15 yo daughter, who is not sports minded, asked to join in. Since she is completely new to throwing and catching, something she never had an interest in when younger, we included her in and I helped her refine her throwing and catching. It wasn't long until she was really doing quite well for a beginner.

My 17 yo son came outside once to cast some word of wisdom to us all and then disappeared back into the house, presumably into his teen cave that is remarkably similar to a bedroom. I think he may have been hoping a football or frisbee was part of the equipment. Seeing none, he didn't linger long.

But you know, the point of my being there was not to throw the ball, or to catch it. That was just something to do. It was an activity that was essentially stress free, fun to do, but kind of pointless in the grand scheme of things.

No, it was not for the sake of softball I was there. The reason why I was out there with my family doing this activity, was to be with my family, to share something of their life with them, to listen to them, talk with them, and love them all. I was there to be with them and let them know they are important to me and they are loved by me.

As I said, maintaining the artful balance is the goal, but it is not always something I do well. But I am trying, and I am learning. As a husband and a father, I understand my role is not only critical in the family, but it is something that I am required to do. God gave me this family and one does not have to search too hard in the Bible to find His instruction to the husbands and fathers.

And this weekend God gave me this beautiful weather, the time, and the understanding so that I was without excuse and without need of one. Standing there Sunday afternoon with a ball glove on was where I was supposed to be that afternoon. I was here for my own Spring training.

There is something exceedingly comforting and peaceful when you know where you are supposed to be and what you supposed to be doing. And when you are there doing it, there is abundant joy to be found.



Copyright 2007, Kevin Farley (a.k.a. sixdrift, a.k.a. neuronstatic)