…finish strong

Back in March I texted Alex’s high school softball coach to let her know Alex’s college team would be playing close to home at the end of the month. On the day of the game, as Alex and her Bloomsburg Husky teammates took the field, I looked over my shoulder and saw that coach making her way towards us. I’m not gonna lie… it choked me up a little – here was a woman who teaches full time, coaches, and has kids of her own who play a multitude of sports; she had coached Alex for only 3 seasons plus 1 game (Covid robbed them of Alex’s final season) but there she was, on a Sunday, supporting my girl.

It was a testament to her love of the game but to this ever-grateful mom, it spoke more to the love she has for her players. I’ve always said good coaches build athletes; great coaches build human beings. It cannot be disputed – Jackie Levy is a successful coach. Her 9-year record as Everett Varsity softball coach speaks for itself: 142 wins, 27 losses, 9 consecutive years of playoff appearances, 2-time district runner up, 4 district Championships, 3 Elite Eight appearances and 1 State Championship (more on that one later…). So, yeah… I think we can all agree Jackie knows how to win but it’s the relationship she has with her players that makes her standout (and her earrings… I can spot her from the outfield bleachers – just gotta look for those earrings).

see what I mean about the earrings… (photo: Stover Photography)

Her coaching style can best be described as ‘positive encouragement’, no yelling, no blaming, no beating down – only lifting up. It has always been her ability to coach the athlete and nurture the girl that makes her players want to win for her. And that nurturing doesn’t end when a girl hangs up her red and white jersey, either; Jackie follows Alex’s college softball career but more importantly she routinely asks how Alex is doing off the field. Yep, no doubt about it… Jackie is a great coach.

2018 softball awards banquet – Jackie, as usual… showing my girl some love

Sadly, for Everett softball…  this was Jackie’s last season in the dugout; from here on out – she, and her husband Josh, can be found in the stands cheering on their kids – Lyla, Colin, and Grant. She knew this day was coming the very day she accepted her first coaching position… when she agreed to one year because she and Josh were starting their family. Eleven years later (she spent 2 with the junior high team) Jackie has a lot to be proud of, her stats… yes, but more importantly she’s shown these young ladies how to balance a rewarding career with a loving family life. 

The irony of it all is that at no time was she more of a mentor to her players than when she decided to step down, “I can always come back to coaching but I can’t come back to being a mom of little kids…” When the balance isn’t working… ya gotta tip the scales yourself. 

…the only thing better than coaching? being a mom to Grant, Lyla and Colin (standing) (photo: Stover Photography)

Even with the excitement of more time with their mom, her kids are understandably devastated – their entire childhood was spent at the Everett softball field. I’m hoping the kids tuck those memories away in a safe place and enjoy the new days of seeing their mom in the stands. And I feel sure Jackie will feel a sense of loss next spring but I’m even more sure she’ll wonder how she managed life when she was coaching. The already-hectic pace of her family life is about to know no bounds. The Levy kids… are on the move.

Lyla, an 8th grader, is an incredible athlete; fiery and competitive, she’s already turning heads on the soccer field, basketball court and of course… the softball field. When you can pry the cleats off her feet, she also plays a mean trumpet (gotta give a shoutout to athlete/musician parents… I’ve lived it… it’s exhausting – you think you’ve got a free day during the season only to find out your kid has to be at the auditorium by 6:30). I have no doubt this little spitfire will make a name for herself.

Colin, a 6th grader, is an equally good athlete competing in soccer, football, and basketball. He, too, is a musician, finding his groove on the saxophone. His most unique trait is his relationship with the Lord, a love so profound that they call him Reverend Levy. His sensitive nature is as endearing as Lyla’s fire.

…the spitfire and the Reverend lovin’ on the Champ (photo: Stover Photography)

Grant will be entering kindergarten and is a typical third child (I speak from my own experience, here). He’ll give Jackie and Josh a run for their money. He, like my Abby, is filled with passion – he loves hard but plays harder. He’s a baseball All-Star, a wrestler, and an upcoming soccer player. He’s a tough guy with a big heart.

…two tough competitors enjoying the win (photo: Stover Photography)

So, while the thought of an Everett softball game without Jackie in the 3rd base coach’s box seems unthinkable… I totally get it. I’m just glad my daughter had the opportunity to play for Coach Levy before she turned in her scorebook. 

Speaking of her scorebook…

Those pages were graced with some big-time names: Morral, Reffner, Colledge, Iseminger (hey… it’s my article…), Hillegas and Price. But no scorebook told a more successful story than that of the 2023 season. The year history was made. The season that ended with a State Championship.

It could be argued that the success of the 2023 season began with the loss to Laurel in the Elite Eight game the previous season (incidentally, that would be the only loss of that season and the last loss of Jackie’s career). Her girls knew they could’ve… should’ve… gone farther and from that day on – their sights were set on a championship. Though that team graduated a number of great players, including 4 starters; the dedication to the goal ran deep through the dugout. 

It was a talented dugout to say the least. I asked Jackie to tell me something about each of her players and instead of me trying to capture these players with my words, I’m going to use Jackie’s…

Front row: Coach Rick Reed, Head Coach Jackie Levy, Jade College, Olivia Hillegas, Cloe Price, Ella McCahan Standing: MaKenna Richards, Lillyan Bryant, Denae Mobus, Betsy Brennan, Ava Weicht, Kirstin Feathers, Morgan Bowser, Izzy Brady, Addy Wood, Marissa Hillegas, Coach Beth Bryant (photo: Stover Photography)

Olivia Hillegas– (Sr, Pitcher)- Liv or Livy Lou- I call her pitches and usually I can be found throwing the pitch along with her in the dugout. When she comes to the plate you know other teams are wishing it wasn’t her. I love that I have been able to coach Liv- her attitude and work ethic are top notch- she has so much hometown pride and loves playing at Everett. I heard one of the other players say in the dugout at some point this year- she is the glue that keeps things together. She’s also so ornery and goofy- I give her some of the credit for allowing me to loosen up and have so much fun this year- the music (OMG By Usher), the after-hit celebrations (“why are you rocking a baby?”), and dancing on the bus rides (did I just get on tiktok?!? after the State Championship Game!)

Kirstin Feathers– (Soph, Catcher) – You may see her in photos smiling big and giving a thumbs up but when this girl gets behind the plate, she is ALL business- she looks so serious that I often will ask her- “Feathers you havin’ a good time, havin’ fun yet?” Even at the Championship game during warm-ups I asked her- “Are you having fun yet”? She knows her job behind the plate, and I couldn’t ask for more out of her. At times when she had to bat behind Liv, she would look at me, laugh, and say “I have to follow up that again- I need to get a new place in this lineup”- but she has her own knack for hitting the ball hard and getting on base- she is exactly where she needed to be!

Denae Mobus (Sr, 1B)- Denae has an amazing glove and a great eye at the plate- you can always count on her going deep in a count, working the pitcher. Denae is such a smart young lady- top of her class- her softball IQ is equally high. There is always sunscreen and very cute sunglasses when Denae is involved- Hollywood style!

Addison Wood– (Fr, P, 1B) – Addy came on strong at the end of the season- she pitched a few games throughout the season but came up big in the batter’s box through playoffs. Her unwavering confidence going into the box is something that I truly admire in this freshman. She charted pitches for me and got very good at analyzing what we should throw and when- I think it has made her a more mature ball player. However, don’t hide her Aquaphor or there will be trouble.

Jade Colledge– (Fr, 2B) Steady Eddie- or Ed for short- a name you can hear us yelling at her from the dugout when she snags a ball. In the batter’s box she is always able to put the ball in play. Not one to smile for a photo- but throughout the playoffs I have caught her showing some teeth for pictures. If you aren’t cheating, you aren’t trying- as she likes to say anytime we are playing a competitive game at practice- this girl hates to lose!

Marissa Hillegas– (Jr,3B) – Such an intimidating thing to look out from the batter’s box and see Marissa almost being close enough to touch you. Her ability to snag a grounder is a thing of beauty. It is an image that I will miss. What an athlete and an all-around nice kid. She is always concerned about what is right for the team and being the best teammate she can be. She got a hot bat throughout the playoffs, and I enjoyed yelling “Stay Hot Riss” from the coach’s box!

Morgan Bowser– (Fr, SS) – An outfielder by nature this freshman had to grow up quick and make a jump to SS- this is something that made our puzzle fit together this season. The girl has a missile for an arm. Came up with some key hits to help [get back to the top of the order] – and that speed on the bases is fantastic. She is the type of kid who doesn’t give herself enough credit for how good she is. I have never been more excited than to see her end the state semi-final game by recording the final 2 outs – her confidence soared, and it made my heart so happy.

Ava Weicht– (Jr, LF) – not one announcer could get her name correct the entire post season- I even put a pronunciation key beside her name. She has gained so much confidence through the year. Her play this post season has kept our team going. I am actually sad to see the season end because the more we win the more she talks. 

Cloe Price– (Jr, CF)- I am so glad she is on our team! She is a threat in all 3 facets of the game- fielding, hitting, and baserunning. Often times the ball will be across the field from her but somehow, she is right there- I’ll say, “how’d she get there so fast!”. She can hit for power or lay down a bunt for a single. I tell her not to be a “cowboy” on the bases- but secretly I love it when she does a delayed steal or purposely gets into a run down to get ahead on the bases.  I will forever love yelling an emotional “Let’s Go” to her when she gets the team fired up when she gets on base. Watching her play gets me excited to coach- even when she wears a toy fishing net on her head. 

Izzy Brady– (Jr, RF)- Izzy Brady is one of the easiest going humans on this planet. She is quiet and took care of what needed to be done on the right side of the outfield. Always good for a giggle and a smile- even when I picked on her for always wanting to take a nap. At least every other practice I had to yell out to her- “you ok out there Brady?” I know she was going to tell me she was fine even if she wasn’t- there was no way you were keeping her off the field. 

Makenna Richards– (Sr, DP)- There has been no stage too big for Makenna when it comes to her focus in the batter’s box. The homerun in the final game was amazing (plus lots of other wonderful words)- I will never forget the look on her face and the genuine tears of joy on her face as she came around the bases- she has always risen to the occasion and come up with a big hit whenever the team needed it! I will forever be saying UGT(You Got This) to her- which is her favorite call on the wristbands. She is also so funny and witty- I told her she should be a stand-up comedian!

Lilly Bryant– (Soph, Outfield) – Lilly has worked so hard and made so much progress throughout the year. Her hitting is the thing that really has come along the most- she had one of her first at bats at Fannett Metal- when she got a hit the dugout erupted in cheers because they know the work that she has put in. I have loved getting to see her sassy side this season- we talk about watching the other team and picking out tendencies and such- I enjoyed when she would come and say- hey this is what I see – she was always looking for a way to better our team!

Ella McCahan– (Soph, Outfield)- Ella has so much team pride it radiates from her- she gets it honest I know her family! In the outfield she has come a long way and is so coachable. She is always working hard at practice and helping to push the starters to do better. Ella embodies what it means to be a team player. 

Betsy Brennan– (Soph, Outfield)- Betsy- also known as Betsy Bull. She is the first to get her glove and a ball to make sure that someone warms up the outfield. Her baking skills are on point- she is always bringing treats for the bus rides- I think the favorite is her chocolate covered strawberries. My favorite memory of Betsy this season is when she came in to pinch hit and put the ball out past the right fielder- I was sending her home. I didn’t care if the play was going to be close because I wanted her to get that home run more than anything

Each of those girls contributed in some way but as with most successful sports stories, this State Championship season was a team effort. The Lady Warriors’ defense, led by Olivia’s regular-season 0.52 ERA, was a force to be reckoned with for sure, but it was their offense that was unstoppable. In their 5 playoff games alone, these ladies scored 63 runs. I was only fortunate enough to catch one game this season and all I could think was, “how in the world did Jackie decide the batting order?” My word those girls could smash a softball. And smash it they did… all the way into the history books – as the first softball team in the county and District 5 to win a state title.

champs!

I asked her what was different about this year and without hesitation she told me she was different. She had hit her stride, finally trusting enough in her own abilities to be able to push her players to trust in theirs. She was able to expect more out of them and the girls ran with it. The confidence of every person in that dugout soared and the vibe relaxed. The recipe for success in team sports is 1 part talent, 1 part chemistry and the 2023 Everett softball team was measured to perfection. 

…it’s all about the vibe (photo: Stover Photography)

I got to chat with Jackie the night before the Championship game at a summer-league basketball game. My daughter Abby plays, and the basketball coach had “called up” Lyla to help out the varsity team since a few of the players also played softball – it seemed a good idea to keep those girls off the basketball court until the Championship had been decided. True to form, Lyla was driving into the paint and scoring, sometimes with 3 upperclassmen defending her… I’m tellin’ ya – this girl is gonna be fun to watch. 

So, there we were after the game, talking about the next day’s activities when Jackie smiled and said, “I have a fun story… on the last day of school I ran back into my classroom to grab line-up cards because I worried I wouldn’t be able to get into the school the next week before the D5 Championship game. I reached into the drawer where I’ve always kept them, I grabbed the cards and saw that I had only 5 left… I thought, ‘wouldn’t that be something… to use all of these…’ because for us to be in the State Championship game would require exactly 5 cards… it was totally unplanned. But here I am, getting ready to fill in that last card tomorrow.” 

Nine very successful years of coaching varsity softball at Everett Area High School came to an end on June 15th at Beard Field, Penn State when Jackie walked away with the Championship trophy and nary a line-up card left….

…saving the best for last

…one trophy, one team, 16 players, 4 coaches

I’m writing this article under the assumption that you have read the lead-in post …one trophy, one team. For those of you who haven’t – that piece focuses on the team as a whole unit. The importance of this team’s ‘one team’ mentality cannot be overstated – it is how they became Champions… But they are also individuals who I’ve come to know very well and I’d like for you to know them, too. So… here is my follow up piece – be kind it has been a labor of love….

On June 16, 2022 at Medlar Field in State College, PA the Everett warrior baseball team made history with their State Championship win. Those young men became the first baseball team in the history of Bedford County to be State Champions and in that I happen to be lucky enough to claim one of the players as my own, I thought I’d give you a little look beyond the stats because, while the players’ impressive stats surely helped, this win was much more than hits, runs and strikeouts.

“It all started with the Little League coaches” ~ said every Little League coach in this picture

For the most part, these boys (I’ve known them for the better part of their lives, they will always be ‘boys’ in my eyes) have played baseball together for 12 years. We parents, being typical sports parents, talked endlessly in those days about “…when these boys are juniors and seniors in high school, they will be something. Anything short of state champs will be a disappointment.”

Ok… it was me… I am “we parents”. But in my defense, here we are, at the end of their senior year (six of the starters were seniors, anyway) and they’ve brought my bold, even arrogant, prediction to fruition.

I struggled with using this photo (courtesy of the Bedford Gazette) because it highlights Cal… but my word does he express what all of us were feeling!

Make no mistake about it – this entire season was a WHOLE TEAM effort but I want you to know a little about each player; I want you to know the stuff that these boys and their parents are too humble to say (now… if you track down a grandparent or aunt – they’ll tell you all of it… grandparents and aunts somehow get a free pass when it comes to this kind of stuff). I’ll even brag up my own player a bit even though it goes against everything we’ve ever taught our kids.

I need to start with the pitchers – we have a few but in my less than humble, perhaps even a touch-biased, opinion we have the greatest 1-2 punch in the state (the hardest part is deciding which is 1 and which is 2). We have a righty (RHP) and a lefty (LHP), and they couldn’t be more different. The righty is smooth, efficient, and slowly saunters off the field each inning after his job is done. The lefty dares the ball to miss the strike zone, has 1 complete game to his name, and is usually the first kid back to the dugout after the last out. And they’ve been best friends since their first little league practice. There is zero competition between them; they are secure in their respective roles, and they support each other unapologetically.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the contribution of the other 8 guys on the field when discussing the success of our pitchers. This team could compile one helluva highlight reel complete with diving catches, physics-defying throws, and simple high baseball IQ plays. A baseball pitcher doesn’t win games without help and this team was no exception. The only dark smudge on this pitching season is the glaring omission of our righty on the list of 1st Team ICC-9 All-Stars. It was so egregious a slight that it completely invalidated the entire list for this sports fan. But… this is a feel-good story, so I’ll leave it at that and get back to the team…

When I think of this team, I do so from a defensive standpoint – where they play in the field – and that is how I will present them to you. Of course, the defense changes based on who’s on the mound, so I will use the defense that is most relaxing for me… the one where my kid is not pitching (moms of pitchers – you know). I’m not using any references for stats, what I write here is from memory so forgive me the few errors I know I’ll make…

Trenten Mellott (RHP, SS, bats 1, senior) Trenten is that right-handed pitcher I mentioned earlier. He has a number of complete games which speaks to his efficiency and I’m pretty sure his rare losses were the result of unearned runs. He has a curve ball that’ll make a batter cry. His ERA (a complex calculation that boils down to the number of runs given up, without error, per game) is the best on the team – which is impressive as a stand-alone stat – but when you include the fact he’s pitched the most innings… well – the lowest percentage with the most attempts – the kid is good. He’s the leadoff batter in the lineup and he was made for that spot. He gets on base often and he’s quick. In the Elite Eight battle he tied the game with a sacrifice fly ball to deep right field in the seventh inning to ensure that Everett wasn’t going home just yet. That long fly ball was followed a few batters later by a walk-off grand slam, but the sac fly was crucial to the game, and I hope it doesn’t get lost in the retelling.

I’ve spent a lot of time recently thinking back on Cal’s baseball career and I can honestly say I don’t have a single memory of that life that doesn’t include Trenten. Whether it was the two of them hitting rocks in Trenten’s driveway at the age of 7 or getting their varsity letters their freshman year or watching them drive off for batting practice at the Winning Edge facility; I can’t think of a time that Trenten wasn’t woven into the fabric of Cal’s baseball life. There’s a picture of Cal’s first-ever homerun – Trenten was on base so both boys are in the frame. Cal’s face is sheer exultation and somehow – Trenten’s smile is bigger. When one hits a homerun – the other is the first to welcome him at the plate. They talk each other through rough stretches on the mound and they sought out each other after each playoff win this season, the pictures of them hugging, crying… celebrating… are images I’ll treasure forever. There simply is no ‘Cal playing baseball’ for me… it’s ‘Cal and Trenten playing baseball’.

Ian Klahre (C, sophomore) Generally speaking, over the past two seasons Ian has been a good catcher; specifically speaking, over this playoff run Ian was a GREAT catcher. Our pitchers are so different in style, what they throw, how they throw, and Ian moves between them seamlessly. He calls the entire game (meaning he tells our pitchers what pitch to throw), the pitchers shake him off here and there, but for the most part Ian calls a brilliant game. I don’t have the stats to back this up but I’m pretty sure he did not have a passed ball in 6 playoff games and that includes wild pitches; he blocked everything that came his way. He was a brick wall at the plate while laying down a pretty nifty tag to help send us to the Championship game. In the Championship game he threw out a runner attempting to steal second base – seems pretty routine, right? Well… 4(?) pitches earlier he took a foul ball to the forearm of his throwing hand… maybe not quite so routine, after all…

At some point in the season, the coach decided to have another player hit for Ian. The coach, by the way, is Ian’s dad. I can’t imagine the conversation they had but if anybody every questions the Klahre’s dedication to Everett Warrior Baseball – think back on that move and how much easier it would have been (for both of them) to keep Ian in the lineup. Watching that father/son duo celebrate the Championship win was worth the price of admission. They deserved that celebration. Incidentally, Ian is a bit of a renaissance man – he’s a catcher, a quarterback, a drummer in the school bands and is a fixture in the school plays… the kid can do it all.

Calvin Iseminger (LHP, 1B, bats 4, senior) my kid… I’m so much more relaxed when he’s playing first – although that makes him part of most plays, so the tension free periods are short-lived. As a pitcher this kid hasn’t lost a game in 2 seasons… got some no-decisions, but didn’t have a loss (don’t forget the guys around him do some work for that…). His pick-off move is the stuff of legend. Last season he picked off 12 runners (“gotta walk ’em to pick ’em off, mom”), this year I think he got 4; lots of opposing coaches telling their runners ‘don’t mess around over there at first with him on the mound’. In the Championship game he pitched 8 innings (which is remarkable when you consider the fact he had only 1 complete 7-inning game during his entire high school career), gave up one hit and calmly got himself outta jams on 2 separate occasions (for the record – my pacing is directly proportional to the level of jam). After the game, a coach laid his arm across my shoulders and said, “Nothin’ like saving the best game of your career for the State Championship your senior year.” The kid did good.

He’s not all knuckle balls and pick offs, though… He bats cleanup and was top 2 in every batting category this season – at least he was before the playoffs started, we stopped looking at stats around the time of the D5 game – we’re a superstitious lot.

The best part of his game though, is his love of his teammates and coaches. You wanna complain about another player? Don’t do it with this kid around. You wanna question a move by a coach? Don’t let Cal hear you. He will not tolerate any disparaging comments about anybody connected to his game – and because of that, he’s taught me to be a better fan, a better athlete-parent, a better person. Throughout the season he would tell me, “We’re just hanging out, having a ton of fun playing ball, even the guys who don’t get to play are just having fun.” It was the perfect way to end his high school athletic career and this momma is thankful for each person in that dugout.

I’ve been asked by a number of people if Cal was nervous the morning of the Championship game as he was the starting pitcher. I offer this little story of his morning… you decide: Dan and I were walking Cal to the door, wishing him luck, telling him we’d see him in State College when he reached for the knob and couldn’t budge the door. There was a bit of frantic pulling on the door, to no avail. I smiled and asked, “You want me to text Travis and tell him you can’t make it because the door is locked?” Once we rectified that situation, the boy was on his way… 10 minutes later my cell chirped, it was Calvin, “Hey mom, can you meet me out back with my jersey?” He must’ve gotten it all out of his system because my boy went on to throw a gem of a game.

Kason Hinish (2B, bats 2, sophomore) Kason Hinish is that player who seems pretty good until you look at his stats and realize – this kid is awesome. I was reading the breakdown of games published in the Bedford Gazette and almost every clip mentioned Kason scoring. He’s perfect in the 2 slot with his consistent bat and ability to reach home. For me though, he will forever be the diving stop in the game against Williamsport. We were already down and couldn’t afford to allow baserunners. A kid sent one right up the middle. I started to lower my head in defeat but something made me stop and watch… out of nowhere Kason dove behind second base, came up firing from his knees, and got the out. It was major league type stuff.

Here’s a fun fact: I can confidently say that I believe Kason Hinish to be the only player in all of baseball who uses both hands when catching a fly ball – he is the player every coach dreams of. As if winning a baseball championship isn’t enough – Kason and his fishing partner earned a spot in the Bassmaster National High School Championship after placing 2nd in a statewide tournament earlier this spring. Kason is headed to South Carolina in August! He’s a talented kid!!

As an aside, Kason has 2 more seasons with Everett baseball – if you fans could proactively educate yourselves about rally caps – what they are, when to wear them, how to wear them, etc. Kason’s mom would really appreciate it… she’s one of the friendliest, most laid-back humans I’ve ever met – right up until the ump yells, “Play Ball!”.

we’re currently raising money to have this “rally cap” framed

Dalton Shaw (3B, P, bats 6, senior) I can say without hesitation that I will never in my lifetime witness another high school kid play the hot corner like Dalton Shaw. The kid is mesmerizing on third base. Collectively, we all hold our breath when a ball is hit up the line – and I’m not sure why – because, without fail, Dalton makes the stretch, sometimes well into foul territory, backhands the ball, plants, and fires across the field to get the out. I’ve seen him barehand a surprise bunt and make the throw to first with literally no part of his body touching the ground. He has no fear. I would run screaming, from some of the balls scorched his way, Dalton gobbles them up with little to no effort. He is far and away the best third baseman I’ve ever seen play and it has been a true honor to have a front-row seat for the entirety of his baseball days.

On the offensive side, Dalton had the winning hit for the Warriors in the playoff game against Portage. There was controversy and we needed the next batter’s RBI to get the official win but trust me on this – Dalton Shaw had the winning, walk-off RBI in the first game of the State Championship run. He is another young man who is tightly woven into my memories of Cal playing ball. Years and years of them hanging out, being little boys, fishing and goofing off. Dalton and his family have given Cal some of his most favorite childhood memories and I’m eternally grateful for how they’ve loved my son.

Karson Reffner (SS, 1B, 3B, C, P, bats 3, senior) basically Karson plays wherever he’s needed and he throws the ball harder than any person I know. I once saw him hit a batter in the helmet; the ball was thrown with such force that it careened off the helmet and flew over a 30+ft backstop {no players were injured in the making of that memory}. When he’s playing the field – you better keep your eye on him. Twelve or so years of my life have been spent ducking from his errant throws during warmups – inexplicably… when the ball is in play… the kid throws a perfect strike to the first baseman’s glove.

There is nothing more beautiful than Karson Reffner’s swing. It is true baseball artistry. He absolutely crushed a walk-off grand slam to send us to the final four game. Just prior to that blast he came in and threw 6 pitches to win the game – he does well on the mound, but he’ll tell you he only pitches because he has to. Can you imagine the pressure he was under? ‘Here kid, you haven’t pitched since May 18th, we’re in the playoffs, down by a run and we need you to take down their best hitter.’ And as usual… Kars was money.

This kid is Cal’s longest-tenured friend. He has the most infectious laugh and he sometimes forgets who he’s chatting with but of all Cal’s friends… knowing their high school years have come to an end… I now fully understand how Dorothy felt when she said goodbye to the Scarecrow…

Jadin Zinn (LF, bats 9, senior) Jaybird was unofficially voted by the parents as ‘the kid the other team least wants to hit with a pitch’. He’s a little… shall we say… full of life. That’s not to say he’s a bad kid – not at all; as a matter of fact, my most endearing memory of Jadin is not related to sports at all. I was chatting with him about his trip with the Votech to rebuild a home destroyed by a tornado in the Midwest, he said it was a cool experience and that he “felt good to be able to help somebody that had gone through that.” If only Jadin knew how often I’ve teared up thinking back on that conversation.

Jadin made some great catches during the season but his most extraordinary play came in the Williamsburg game when he made a perfect throw to get a runner at home. He’s a great left fielder but nobody expected that throw! He batted in the 9 spot – but he’s not a 9-hitter in little league terms, he’s a 9-hitter in major league terms. He’s there to keep the inning alive for the top of the order and he exceled at it. I’ve seen him launch a ball 450 ft, but the best hit of his life was a grounder between short and 3rd – he won the Championsip with that hit.

Jadin and Cal shared the Freshman Player of the Year award in their first year of high school football. I think his mom and I have a picture of the 2 of them after every football game over the last four years. Jaybird is a constant in Cal’s sports life and I’m not sure I’ll ever like a teammate of Cal’s more than I like Jadin.

Sid Grove (CF, P, 1B, bats 5, junior) Sid is probably the most complete baseball player on the team. He can do it all. He fields, he hits, he pitches, and man can that kid run. If a ball is hit anywhere between left and right field – Sid is gonna catch it. The plays Sid made would be highlight reel plays for any other player, but he made everything look so dang easy that instead of going wild, we’d just shrug and say, “Sid’s got it.” Cal threw a no-hitter this season and that stat falls squarely on Sid’s glove – he made a couple of plays that I won’t even attempt to describe because they’ll lose something in the telling. But know this… if he can’t get to a ball with his legs – he’ll lay out for it – and he’ll catch it. He runs like a deer – fast, graceful and with seemingly no effort.

I believe he ended the season with the highest batting average. If he was at the plate – be ready to cheer. And cheer we did when he had the game-winning hit against Delone Catholic, sending us to the Championship game. The only thing more impressive than his skill is his enthusiasm. I have such a vivid memory of him diving into third for a triple then jumping up with a growl that got his dugout AMPED UP.

I’m always caught off guard when I see Sid without his hat, he plays with such maturity that I forget he’s a kid… then he takes off his hat and I see the grin… and I remember – he’s only a junior in high school. The team is his next year… it’s in good hands.

Karl Foor (RF, bats 7, senior) before you read anything else about Karl – you need to know that this kid was in 2 car accidents between his 9th and 11th grade years. Both times he broke his pelvis. To recover from the second break he couldn’t put any weight on his legs for 6 months. And in his senior year – he was the starting right fielder for a State Champion team. I am awed by this kid. He was on base – a lot – and you could always hear his dad yelling “Stay Up!” because the thought of Karl needlessly sliding was gut wrenching for him… for all of us.

My biggest beef with Karl is the fact he cut his God-awful mullet in the middle of playoffs. Don’t get me wrong – it needed to be done… just not in the middle of playoffs. It all worked out in the end, and while Karl is always handsome, he’s especially handsome with that hair gone. I just wish he hadn’t poked at my superstitions to do it.

Karl did a great job in the field; every coach dreams of a kid who calls the ball when it’s in the air… “MeMeMe” was all I needed to hear to know it was an out. And while I credit Dalton with the walk-off hit in the Portage game – the officials had a different story in mind. They gave in to a questionable appeal claiming Cal missed 3rd base thereby nullifying his run and bringing Karl to the plate… the kid had ice in his veins. The controversy that preceded his at bat, the well over 15-minute discussion at midfield, the emotions of every fan and player, including his own… none of it affected Karl – he put the ball in play and won the game for Everett. Nothing stops this kid… he is an absolute miracle and I’ve been blessed to watch him shine for 12 years.

Macyn Klotz (DH, bats 8, junior) Macyn was the designated hitter for most of the season. He was clutch. It’s no easy task – coming out of the dugout once every 9 batters – but Macyn was a pro. When Karson launched his game-winning grand slam we needed only one run because of Trenten’s game-tying sac fly – Macyn scored that run. He was the kid who always seemed to be on base when we needed baserunners… I’ve said it a thousand times this season – the bottom of our batting order would’ve been the top of most other’s. In the Williamsport game we entered the bottom of the 7th inning, down a run, with the bottom half of our batting order due up. A few parents told me to speak my season-long mantra… I looked each of them square in the eye, felt it deep in my heart and said, “the bottom part of our order has been saving our bacon all season long.” Macyn was the quintessential bacon-saver.

Jacob Price (Pinch Runner, senior) where do I start with Jacob? How about here: in the last 3 games of the championship run he pinch ran for different players and scored to either tie or win the game. In the Elite Eight game he scored on Trenten’s sac fly to tie the game. In the final four game he scored on Sid’s hit to win the game. In the Championsip game he jumped on the plate for the winning run, scoring on Jadin’s hit.

Let me tell you about pinch runners… sure the kid has to be fast (Jacob is frequently called Wheels) but more importantly he has to have an outstanding baseball IQ. The last thing he wants to do is hurt his team. And finally, he has to be coachable. He gets one, maybe two, chances per game to do something… most kids would take chances just to be the hero. Not Jacob. He listened to his coach and he did what he was supposed to do… in 3 consecutive, big time games.

Lest you think a team’s success relies only on starters, I present to you the 5 players who worked their tail ends off to make this team great. They are the players who showed up everyday to make everybody better. They ran out game-time situations on the base path, they played the field during batting practice and they earned their medals.

Kasey Weaver (OF, junior) Kasey was the definition of ‘next man up’. He was the guy who came in when we were down a player. He did his job well both in the field and at the plate. I’m not sure I’m able to separate Cal’s baseball life from Kasey’s family… The Weavers have been an integral part of Cal’s baseball life since day one and they deserve a great deal of the credit for Cal’s love of the game. Their friendship is a gift that I cherish.

Drake Fetters (Utility, sophomore) Drake was injured during a sport… I should probably know more but the kid plays 3 sports and has no fear so, in my defense, it’s hard to keep track. The origin of his surgery aside – this kid is dedicated to every team he suits up for. Drake had PT almost every day after school and yet, the kid never missed a practice. I’m excited to follow him the next 2 years, his grit will make him a player to watch.

George Kuhne (3B, sophomore) and Reese Sherwood (CF, sophomore) I feel bad grouping these two together but when I talked to Cal about them – he grouped them when he referred to them as the smartest people he’s ever known… after I nursed my wounded ego… I can see that there might be some truth to his assessment. These boys’ future is so bright and their skills on the baseball field will only add to their shine. They are ball players who also happen to be geniuses… they will be starters next year and they will do the team proud.

Jesse Moore (OF, sophomore) Jesse is probably the most successful Everett athlete on the team. He’s no stranger to big games as the Everett boys’ soccer team has participated in a number of playoff games with Jesse on the roster, I don’t think this is all coincidence… Jesse will be an important cog in the future success of this baseball team.

And that is the full 16-man roster. And it’s only part of the story… ’cause every team has coaches. And boy – do we have coaches. The amount of baseball knowledge these 4 men possess is astronomical; they are fascinating to watch in action.

Corey Reffner (asst coach, dad) these days Corey is most widely known as Karson’s dad but there was a time when he was THE southpaw of the area. Corey brings a lot to the team. Most notably, he brings experience; he’s played ball at a pretty high level. But he also brings a sense of calm and comfort to the boys – he’s been sharing a dugout with these young men since t-ball (Cal does a pretty good impression of Corey… ask him sometime). When Cal decided to play baseball in college instead of football, Corey was the person I talked to about it. Sure, he’s a lefty AND he has college baseball experience but more importantly, he’s been a constant in Cal’s baseball life and personal life for as far back as I can remember. I knew he was the person we needed.

Les Lepako (asst coach, Rubber Arm) Coach Les is the perennial batting practice pitcher. He exceeds the 100- pitch limit every single day and the boys adore this man. He’s quiet, always smiling and I believe he’s the oldest… ehem… most senior member of the team – and he keeps them all young.

Mike Kline (asst coach, 1B coach) I think my favorite memory of Coach Kline is watching him lean toward our dugout while coaching first, to explain to our boys how a ball should’ve been played by the other team. He never misses an opportunity to teach; apparently, he also never misses an opportunity to tell a good story. We were at an awards ceremony with Mr. Kline and the 4 I’s left, leaving Cal behind. Cal got home 45 minutes later because “…you don’t walk away when Coach Kline is telling stories.” Cal calls him ‘the most quotable guy he knows’. Of all the coaches, Coach Kline seems the most “old-school”. He carries himself with a no-nonsense air and you fall into the trap of thinking he’s a drill sergeant in cleats… until you see his subtle grin when the boys do something goofy or you see him lay his arm across a player’s shoulder, telling him to have a short memory – an error doesn’t make him a bad player – then he coaches the kid for the next time. He’s the perfect match to our head coach.

Travis Klahre (head coach, manager) In baseball, the head coach is called a manager, but I think in talking about Travis, I need to use both titles. Travis, as a head coach, is exactly who this team needed. He trusted the talent he had. He didn’t over-coach. He was the yin to Mike’s yang, but just as Mike isn’t as tough as he seems, Travis can be tougher than ya think. The boys wanted to win for both of them and that speaks volumes about them as coaches and as people.

Travis was also a manager of the game and he made 3 decisions this season that let me know he was the right guy for the job. The first decision was having a DH for Ian. We’ll never know if that decision was perfect because we’ll never know how Ian might’ve finished out the season at the plate, but we DO know that Macyn was clutch. It had to be an incredibly difficult decision for a father… but as a manager, he did what he felt was in the best interest of the TEAM. It has always been about the team for Travis…

The second decision was pulling Trenten at the end of the semi-final game. Trenten was throwing a magnificent game. He had plenty of pitches left to finish… but not enough to be available 3 days later in the Championship game. So Travis put Cal on the mound – and Cal promptly gave up a double to the first batter he faced. My lord the sweating Travis had to’ve been doing… But, in my opinion, that one decision won us the Championship game. I think Cal pitched better on Thursday because he knew Trenten was available and I think Sid and Karson played better because they knew they wouldn’t have to come in. Cal pitched more innings than he has ever pitched in his life, he’s never been more efficient, but with extra innings – we needed the righty to come in and finish it up. Pulling Trenten 3 days earlier was sheer baseball genius. Travis thinks the decision was – at the time – unwelcome. He’s wrong… everybody knew why he did it, and everybody applauded him.

The third decision is less about making ball players and more about developing human beings. As I’ve mentioned, there was no standout, no MVP on this team and we had 6 starting seniors; because of that, the team had no captain. When the umps would call for coaches and captains, Travis took the starting pitcher with him. In the rotation, Cal was the starter for the Championship game. But… we have another ace pitcher who got us there, too… I heard the umps make the call and I silently begged Travis to take both Cal and Trenten… it was the right thing to do, it was the ONLY thing to do…. I looked down and saw Trenten lay down his glove and head toward home plate and tears spilled down my face. Travis most definitely understood the assignment… all season long.

A lot has been made of this team – their list of engagements is staggering – but it is rightfully deserved. They made history and for a few weeks they electrified this little town and the surrounding areas; they brought a sense of community back when it was desperately needed. They did it by having fun and by playing as a team. Yes, you could say our team was stacked with talent but it was the positive vibe of this team that got them the trophy. A vibe that started at the top and trickled down to the dugout and out to the bleachers. This team is all that is right in the world… and how lucky am I that I had a front row seat?

my front row seat

…one trophy, one team

A truckload of Champions!!!

In early 1967 Dick Schapp, a sportswriter, contacted Jerry Kramer and asked him to chronicle his day-to-day life as an offensive lineman playing for Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. Instant Replay was published in ’68 and is regarded as one of the greatest sports books of all time. Schaap’s writing is superb, Kramer’s insider’s vantage point is remarkable but what makes the book so utterly compelling is the timing. In their wildest dreams, neither man could have imagined Kramer’s ’67 season would offer up The Ice Bowl.

Now, 55 years later, I feel like I am the modern-day Dick Schaap… ok, maybe my situation is a little smaller scale, but this is my story so, Dick Schaap I am.

This year I had the unique pleasure of getting an insider’s account of the Everett baseball team’s State Championship season. Kramer used a pay phone to call in his daily notes, my information came across the dinner table. Another glaring difference is that I didn’t offer to pay my source because, to be honest, I feel like me hauling him around in my uterus for 9 months seems like payment enough.

If you would’ve told me 18 years ago that my son would be on the first State Champion baseball team in county history I probably would’ve smiled and said, “We can only hope.” If you would’ve told me the same thing 10 years ago, I would’ve smiled and said, “You’re damn right he will be.” I remember watching most of these boys as teammates on little league all-star teams back in the day and daring to let myself dream of big games… and big wins.

They were all just so talented. And they were all the same age. And we knew, if they stuck with it, they’d be a “dream team” by their junior and senior years. As often happens though, a few boys broke off to pursue other interests; fortunately, the area was ripe with talented players who were only a year or two younger. Those 7 ‘originals’ along with their younger cohorts, kept after it right up until June 16, 2022, when they brought home the PIAA 2A State Championship trophy.

If you didn’t get the chance to watch these boys play… you missed out! Our guys lost only 2 games all season (both were winnable) so you know they had talent. But it wasn’t just one kid with talent, or even 4 kids… A person would be hard pressed to pick an MVP on that team.

Who would it be? The efficient right-handed pitcher with the ridiculously low ERA and high batting average? The strong lefty who never lost a game and put up some numbers at the plate? The young catcher who calls every pitch and had nary a passed ball in the playoffs? The second baseman who made diving stops and seemed to be on base every time he needed to be? The shortstop who never had an error and could hit the ball a country mile? The third baseman who has to be considered the best 3rd baseman in the state? The left fielder who made a perfect throw to save a game then had the lone RBI in the Championship game? The centerfielder who is by far the best middle outfielder I’ve ever seen play the game and carried the best batting average? The right fielder who put the ball in play under intense circumstances to start us on our championship run? The designated hitter who seemed to find the gaps every time he stepped up to the plate? Or the pinch runner whose base path savvy led to him scoring the winning run in the semi-final and in the championship game?

Ya see what I mean? This was an entire team of MVP candidates. They each had a job to do and to a man, they did it with excellence. So, yes… they were a group of talented fellas, but their stats tell only part of the story.

I remember my son coming home from one of the first practices of the season, he was chuckling as he walked in the door, I smiled and asked what he was laughing about. “Just stuff that happened at practice. I think we’re gonna have a lotta fun this season.” And that was the tone for the entire season.

Fun.

“I can’t explain it mom, we’re just a bunch of guys having fun. Even the guys who don’t play… they aren’t mad about it; they’re just having fun.”

And so were we parents. The fun vibe was contagious. Of course, the boys were winning so ‘fun’ was easy, but it was more than that… it was an overwhelming, all-encompassing, feeling of positivity. In my many years of many sports I’ve never been part of a sports environment that was as positive in nature as this baseball team environment. And it started in the dugout.

The coaches somehow found that ever elusive balance between expecting perfection and accepting that these boys were, in fact, boys. They knew when to teach and they knew when to laugh – they trusted their athletes. And because of that, the players trusted each other.

There were errors, there were untimely strikeouts, there were missed opportunities… but there was never blame. If a kid made a mistake the team rallied behind him. They didn’t hang their heads, they didn’t quit – they worked collectively to overcome the mistake because it wasn’t the individual player’s problem to fix – it was the TEAM’S problem. And like the air of fun – the air of positivity crept into the bleachers.

Listen, this group of boys has been playing together a long time, we’re like every other small-town, we all felt like we had 9 of our own kids on the field. But never before have I felt the sense of unity that I felt this year. We felt each player’s disappointment after a mistake, and we felt that parental pride no matter which kid was making headlines. We were a family and as we fed off the team vibe, I believe the team fed off the fan vibe. This was a TEAM and we were all in it together…

The talent of this group can’t be denied but the driving force behind these champions was team chemistry. They were able to play loose because they knew they had unconditional support. There was not a single ego to be found amongst this group. They trusted each other, they counted on each other, and they wanted to win for each other. There was most certainly no ‘I’ in this team.

To the parents of young athletes, I say this: paying for lessons and travel teams might make your kid better but teaching him or her how to be a teammate – will make your kid a champion!

State Champs!!!!!

I’ve spent a lot of time this season thinking back over my son’s baseball years, and I can’t help but feel blessed to have spent this decade-long journey with such an incredibly talented and wonderfully fun group of young men and their families. Timing, is indeed, everything.

i love you because…

On May 24th my husband and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage; I’m very proud of that and also sort of awed by it because to be totally honest, have I always liked this guy? No. 

But have I always loved him? 

Also, no.

Listen, marriage is hard. I mean for garsh sakes I have 5 different shampoos in my shower because I like to change it up every day. And here I am… 25 years later, wearing the same damn ring on the same damn finger every.single.day. Twenty-five years of watching him fall asleep in a recliner instead of just going to bed. Twenty-five years of watching him tap that friggin saltshaker with his forefinger (it’s a saltSHAKER not a salt tapper). Twenty-five years of listening to him lament that he’d be much taller if it weren’t for ‘that missing vertebrae…’  

I’m very suspicious of people who claim they never fight with their significant other. I have questions… do you not live together? have you never remodeled? are you never in the same moving vehicle at the same time? Dear lord people, have you never been visited by your in-laws?

Now, I’ll concede that I may be on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to arguing with my spouse, and while I can’t say I go lookin’ for a fight I’m also not sure it’s necessary for me to say things like, “I’ve spent the last 27 years of my life hating the stupid, noncommittal way you cough.” I can see now that my comment might have been a tad confrontational (let me just say, though… a hearty, deep cough might do wonders for his lungs).

For his part – Dan is no fighter. He’d be perfectly content to never have a cross word between us, although, to that end you’d think he’d stop answering the phone, “Yaaaallow….” But, honest to Pete, my husband is about the most laid-back, easy-going human being you’ll ever meet – no matter how hard I’ve tried to break him. So, to celebrate him tolerating me for 25 years, I am offering this love letter in list form: 

  1. I love you because Alexandra… Calvin… Abigail. I know true love with you, I know unconditional love because of you. They are without question, the very best part of me (except when they’re acting like jerks… that’s all you).
  2. I love you because you took on EVERYTHING so that I could devote myself to caring for my mom in her last months.
  3. I love you because when I say, “Order whatever toppings you want” you order pepperoni, sausage, and banana pepper rings.
  4. I love you because of the way you look at Lucy when you pet her; conversely, I’m a little triggered by the way she looks back at you.
  5. I love you because you get my water bottles ready for me every morning, although… when we’re arguing I hate that I have to thank you for it
  6. I love you because you take me to see the Packers… did I mention they play in London this fall?
  7. I love you because you think I’m the most beautiful woman in every room (to be fair, though… what’re ya gonna say? “My wife? Yeah… she’s the one with the great personality hovering over the dessert table.”)
  8. I love you because of the musical influence you’ve had on our kids – both performing and listening – left up to me they’d botch the kazoo and know only The Beatles, a few 90’s grunge songs and Pink!
  9. I love you because you are so dedicated to your job, the church and numerous community organizations… oh wait… I’m actually bothered by the time you give to those things, but I do love that your time away from me does not involve brothels, bars, and betting.
  10. I love you because you laugh…a lot.
  11. I love you because you do so much for and with my dad, although I do worry that, in the case of divorce, he’d keep you and get rid of me.
  12. I love you because you always go along with my cockamamie ideas… now if you’d just realize they are good ideas from the beginning – we could save a lot of time.
  13. I love you because you have closed our closet door every night since I read that closing doors in the bedroom is feng shui (it’s even more impressive because I feel like you’re still waiting for me to tell you what the hell ‘feng shui’ means…).
  14. I love you because you didn’t leave me during pharmacy school… my competitive nature would’ve driven away a lesser man.
  15. I love you because I dream up our remodels and you bring them to fruition (generally many, many, many months after my estimated finish date…).
  16. I love you because you genuinely like all my friends; they like you, too (except when I don’t like you… they are my friends, after all).
  17. I love you because you can literally do just about anything (except make a decision about dinner, apparently that’s above your pay grade).
  18. I love you because every year you look at the Christmas tree I’ve chosen, shake your head in disbelief then set about cutting it down all the while muttering about it “not even fitting in our house”. Then you spend the next 4 or 5 hours making it fit in our house.
  19. I love you because more often than not you are the one who cleans out the refrigerator – ‘course you’re the one who makes us save 7 peas but still… it’s nice that you take care of it.
  20. I love you because you wear your life vest from launch to land when we kayak.
  21. I love you because you thank me for being ‘the air traffic controller’ of our family, uhm… in case you hadn’t noticed, I have control issues – no need to thank me, just get the hell outta my way.
  22. I love you because you understand the importance of proper towel folding and storage (in half, in half, again, then trifold, placed with the nice edges facing out).
  23. I love you because you are an amazing father, and our children adore you.
  24. I love you because you went to be with your dad in his last moments; and I know with everything in me, he knew you were there…
  25. I love you because the last 25 years have been so much more than I ever dreamed and wildly more than I deserve and all of it… is because of you.

People tell me I’m lucky to have a husband who is so good to me. To that I say: I wouldn’t have settled for anything less. What I am lucky to have is such a good man who understands me, accepts me, supports me, and also happens to be easy on the eyes… 

A quarter of a century later and you are still the person I most want to hang out with and the absolute love of my life; now if you would kindly refrain from wearing 3 different shades of blue at the same time, we could live on in perfection…

…happy father’s day – to every kind of dad

They say a girl always marries a guy just like her dad, but…

My dad’s work attire consisted of boots, jeans, t-shirt and a hat, no cologne (unless you count the diesel fuel smell that foiled my mother for decades). My husband is a daily-necktie kinda guy – and while he also doesn’t wear cologne – he does gel his hair.

My dad is football and westerns, my husband is hockey and sci-fi. My dad didn’t know how to work the coffee pot until my mom passed, my husband makes and brings me two cups of coffee every morning. My dad once built a heckuva messy-lookin’ chicken run in an afternoon, with mostly scraps laying around his property, my husband spent 4 months building a 3-shelf stand to house dirty boots – inside a closet – and actually never finished because I bought a premade unit out of frustration.

When I was 5-years old, my father took me fishing. We stood along the bank of the pond, he looked me square in the eye and said, “I will bait your hook ONCE, I will take off your FIRST fish, after that you are on your own, I’m here to fish, too.” When my family of five hits the banks of the river my husband drops one, maybe two, hooks – he spends the rest of the time addressing our casting woes.

While I enjoy being the life of the party just like my dad, my oldest daughter has been known to ask, “Why am I such a dud?” to which her dad stakes claim by raising his hand and saying “hello….?” (to be fair – neither is actually a dud, but they are a little more… reserved, shall we say? than the rest of us).

My dad, on the rare occasion he imbibes, is a rum and coke guy, my husband is a nightly, craft beer guy. My dad last stepped foot in a church on his wedding day (1967), my husband attends every Sunday, sits on a couple of church committees and performs with the church band. My dad’s favorite pastime involves poker chips, my husband tinkers with micro-chips. 

When I was 6? Maybe 7-years old my dad invited me to fish on the Chesapeake Bay with him. He told me he’d wake me once and if I wasn’t ready to go at 4am sharp, he’d leave me behind. When he went to my room the next morning, my bed was empty. He found me fully dressed, sleeping in front of our back door. I was standing in the 7-11 buying my Yoo-hoo and donuts at 4:02. The first time my husband invited our kids to a Hagerstown Municipal Band concert they whined, until I informed them, “you are going.” The four of us sat in the car for 11 minutes waiting for him.

My dad dug up and moved a Japanese Maple tree, sat it on top of the ground, put a little dirt around it… it has thrived for 12 years, my husband diligently followed the care instructions for an 80-year-old bonsai tree for 2 months, until it died. Every evening, my father enjoyed a home-cooked meal prepared by my mom, I didn’t even know we had a kitchen until Dan mentioned remodeling it to make his dinner prep easier. My dad thinks a good turkey call is music to his ears, my husband picks up any of the myriad instruments we own to bring music to his ears.

At the age of 69 my father had open-heart surgery and refused rehab because after 2 weeks he was already walking further on his own than the physical therapist recommended, the guy I married says, “I’m not sure what’s going on with the cold you gave me, but it picked up steam on its way over.” (full disclosure: my father is a weak, weak shell of a man when he has a cold and my husband would muscle through a surgery just to irritate me).

My father has – on more than one occasion – won the 50/50 at Bedford Speedway, my husband responds to poker invites with, “How ‘bout I just hand you a 50 and save myself the embarrassment?” (to his credit he says he used up all his luck when he found me… I say he’s just ALWAYS been unlucky).

And yet… are they really all that different? I mean… they vacation together – without me (4-wheeler junkies, the both of them), they both have excellent mechanical skills yet have leaned shoulder-to-shoulder on a car while I was under it changing the oil, they both rank The Blues Brothers as the funniest movie ever written and think Marty Robbins’ voice is butter. But their most striking similarity is the fact they are both the most incredible father I know.

My childhood was filled with Saturdays spent riding next to my dad on his backhoe and Sunday-morning fishing trips and soaking up every bit of sports knowledge he possessed. When he calls me Princess, I laugh at the (intended) mocking irony of it. I loved being with my dad (still do) and my fondest childhood memories involve time spent with him. Call it nurture, call it nature but I was blessed with his quick wit and wicked sense of humor (conversely, I got the broad shoulders and facial hair from my mother’s side).

He isn’t the type of dad who kissed me goodnight and told me loved me – as a matter of fact – we shook hands every night before I went to bed, but he is a “hey I put oil and a filter in your trunk, you won’t need it for a month or so, but I didn’t know when you were coming home next” kind of dad. My favorite movie is still The Dirty Dozen because I can so clearly remember curling up on the floor with him 39 years ago and watching until I fell asleep (incidentally… if you’ve ever seen it, you know that is NOT an easy movie to sleep through… what I wouldn’t give for that sleeping prowess today). My father will always be my hero…

And my husband does not disappoint as the sequel to his greatness. Our kids have been blessed with an equally remarkable dad. He is the most caring, selfless, accommodating man I’ve ever met. He’s never too tired to do whatever it is they ask of him, and if he is – he does it anyway. He holds them accountable then offers unwavering support. He earns their respect simply by respecting them. They adore their dad.

It’s pretty nifty watching all three of our kids have a different relationship with him and even more impressive is his ability to nurture each bond, simultaneously, with seamless effort. He has introduced our kids to classic movies, astronomy, ice skating and music – from Beethoven to The Beatles to the Beastie Boys. He provides a sense of calm in the midst of Storm Karen (as I tell my entire brood… unfortunately with the good passion, comes the bad passion). He has shown our son how to be a good husband and father and he has shown our daughters how they should be loved. 

If I’ve done anything right in this lifetime, it was in choosing the man to father my children – I had an awesome 1.0 version to guide me….

…happy mother’s day

I have never made light of Mother’s Day.

Never.

I know that many women are robbed of the celebration and I also know what it’s like to miss the guest of honor on her day. It is my greatest joy in this life to be the mother of my three children and I don’t, for a second, take that for granted. So, when I poke fun at the trials and tribulations of being a mother, please know that I do it with the full knowledge that I am blessed beyond anything I deserve.

And yet…

I sometimes wonder why I volunteered for this job. 

These people… these very people who, at one time, shared my personal space, ofttimes make me want to rent my own apartment… on a deserted island… that can be accessed only by boat… during a full moon.

Each morning, as I set about waking these blessings of mine; I walk to their rooms with a heart full of anticipation… within three minutes of them being upright I find myself researching early college admission with the hope they might qualify.

I have never met any other human beings who can so wildly affect my feelings for them with just their eyebrows like these three can. Furrowed, both raised, one raised… I’ve contemplated shaving them while they sleep.

Their father, a wonderful man who chooses to assert his authority by way of my mouth and voice, never seems to be around for the fun. When I give him a recap of the offending event he responds with, “Sorry, I was in the _____________ [bathroom, kitchen, basement, yard, alternate universe I’ve created in my head so that I can avoid all the chaos, shed, etc.].”

Abby had some teeth pulled last week. I rearranged my schedule, went to work early and stayed late a few days so that I could take her to the appointment. I got the girl a milkshake afterwards then went to the store for grilled cheese and tomato soup fixin’s (her choice). Dan put the soup in a pan and burned up some grilled cheese. She walked up to him, laid her head against his arm and said, “Thanks daddy.” As we took our seats at the table Cal said, “THANKS dad!” as if the man had just plated a 5-star meal that took hours to prepare.

Two days later, after hearing the boy mention tacos I hit the grocery store between loads of laundry and floor scrubbing. I – recklessly – forgot the sour cream. Dan zipped over to the store. “Dad saved the day!” “Thanks dad, you’re the best!”

The next night Cal played in a high school baseball game at the Altoona Curve stadium. I did feel bad for Dan, he couldn’t make it and I know he wanted to be there. I am lucky enough to have a job that allows me to make it to these events. Again, I went in to work early and by the time I stopped at the grocery store (after the game) for something to feed these ingrates, I had put 229 miles on my odometer. When I got home, Dan and I assembled and baked a breakfast casserole. Somewhere between his third and fourth bites Cal said, “Dad, this slaps!” (today’s equivalent to “yum”).

*DAD*… this slaps.

I can’t put a number to the forms I’ve completed over the course of three kids and 19 years of motherhood – but it’s a lot. School forms, health forms, band forms, sports forms – 3 kids, 8 sports between them and summer leagues… the numbers are staggering. Dan has filled in exactly 6 of them. Every time he does, the kid-in-need lets me know it… “I had to get dad to do my form – I asked you twice.”

Where was it? I looked for it… then I emailed your teacher and asked for another copy, she’s sending one home with you today.”

Mom! I have it… that’s so embarrassing – it was in my closet, under my sleeping bag. I’ll just tell her dad took care of it….

For some reason dad being in the shower is off limits, mom being in the shower is go-time.

Mom, where is my book bag?”

Uhm… I don’t know, honey, I can help you look when I get out of the shower.”

The bus is coming! I don’t have time to wait Mooooooommmmmm.”

Well, where is your dad?”

In the kitchen.”

Did you ask him?”

No.”

Ok… just so I fully understand the situation… you were standing next to your father – ON DRY LAND – walked away from him and came to the bathroom to ask me to help you find your book bag – while I’m showering?”

…and there it is… the double-eyebrow raise

I’ve gotten phone calls at work, “Mom… [brother/sister] is being a jerk to me!”

Isn’t your father home?”

Yes?” the caller asks, clearly not understanding how my question is relevant.

So, I gotta say… when I see this meme:

My first reaction is: don’t be silly, nobody can find GOOD cargo shorts for under $15 but more importantly, why is my husband looking to buy me marked down shit? He had better walk into that jewelry store and offer to pay full price.

Listen fellas, I know times have changed. Hell, my father changed 2 (count them… TWO) diapers – one for my brother, one for me – and they had to be “number one”. He just “wanted to be able to say [he] did it.”

God bless my mother.

My husband, on the other hand, is an amazing, hands-on, father. My kids are lucky to have a father like him – and I’m lucky to have him as my partner in childrearing. I would estimate that he changed 47% of the diapers – even embracing those that came back to us in our nightmares… well – not actually, physically, embracing. I mean… there was a lot of sprinting with a baby dangling from the fingertips of outstretched arms… but he certainly didn’t shy away from a challenge.

He fed, clothed, bathed, read to and never once “babysat” our children (he simply referred to it as ‘being home with the kids while you are out’). But he is also the guy who called to ask me if he should put a coat on Alex before taking her to daycare… it was 55 degrees out AND the man has two college degrees… 

I’m looking forward to Mother’s Day; my three goons and Dan go all out. I’ve asked for everything from a day by myself (hated that) to a day spent floating the river (my favorite – especially when we can all be together) to material gifts; but what I most treasure are the handmade cards (yes! handmade – have you seen the price of greeting cards??? No wonder the man is bargain shopping at the jewelry store…). 

My kids are getting older, and while I miss the little-kid drawings and messy handwriting, is there anything more fulfilling than reading, “Mom, I can honestly say you are my best friend”? (even more endearing is – they know how to correctly punctuate!). 

I am so incredibly, breathtakingly, in love with these 3 people who routinely hang out on my last nerve and I will forever love their dad simply because… he’s their dad.

Although…

I am reminded of the day Cal was born – he was a planned C-section. We had gotten some snow overnight and Dan looked out the window, sighed heavily and lamented, “Well… I guess I’ll go shovel out the car.”

I slowly looked over at him and said, “Thank you… I guess I’ll go have my stomach cut open and have a person pulled out… if you would be so kind as to clear a path, first.”

Listen… buy the damn bracelet and while you’re out, stop and get yourself a pair of those cargo shorts… you need the pocket space for carrying all our phones and you know I won’t have time to order them by Father’s Day…

…when the child (THINKS she) becomes the parent

Our high school football season has been the embodiment of the term “shit show” from the outset. From not knowing if we’d even have a season (Covid… you ignorant slut) to being down to our 3rd-string quarterback (who is doing a pretty nifty job under center) to Cal starting the season with a knee injury (who said baseball is safer?) to then spraining his shoulder in the 2nd game (ok maybe football is more dangerous).

Anyway – shit show is a mild understatement. Cluster-fuck is closer but still not adequate. And yet… there was a fight to the death over the 2 tickets we had for 3 people. Ok, it wasn’t to the death, but only because Dan realized he’d spend the entire first half driving to the game and subsequently bowed out (when he lamented that the most rational solution was for him to stay home, I subtly slid the shiv I’d been carving, back under my pillow).

True to the tone of the year 2020, the game was over 90 minutes away and the weather was creating treacherous conditions – in October. Now… those of you who know me well, know how much I love watching my boy do anything in a sports arena – I mean I love watching ALL of my kids do ANYTHING but… my boy. on a field. is going to propel me to Chunky Soup or Subway commercials – I just KNOW it.

But I gotta admit – when he texted to tell me the home team had 2+ inches of snow and it was still coming down – I started to question exactly HOW MUCH I love to watch him (especially considering we could live stream the game right to our tv – complete with recliners, beer and forced-air heat).

And then… this….

I literally would’ve snow-shoed the entire 76 miles after that exchange.

The good news is: there was actually no snow

The bad news is: we got creamed

My favorite news is: my boy did KINDA go all Shady McCoy out there

(And at this point I’m hoping against hope that “Shady McCoy” is not some kind of derogatory term that I should not only NOT be repeating but should be beating my kid’s ass for using)

Anyway, back to the premise of this wildly tangential story…

I had texted Pop earlier in the day to tell him he was the lucky fan who won the other ticket and told him to be at our house for a 5pm departure. When he got here he said, “I can drive.”

I countered (a little too firmly), “I’ll drive.” He shrugged and walked out to my car; I was grabbing my gear, thinking… ‘it’s happened, I’ve taken over the role of parent in our relationship.’

When I got to the car Pop looked at the clothes I was tossing into the back and asked, “What’s all that?”

I raised my eyebrows and got my best condescension on, “uhhhh… it’s cold up there but I don’t want to sweat during the drive…”

Pop waved me off, “that shit ain’t gonna help – I brought you a pair of hunting coveralls and a coat, there’s gloves in the pockets.”

I stubbornly laid my stuff on top of his camo offerings – ’cause I clearly know more than him, see:

For reference you need to know – masks were not required. Look at my eyes… I’m literally frozen into a state of disbelief.

After sitting in bitter cold for 3 hours, watching a beat-down, we decided to stop for some coffee to warm us up on the ride home.

“I need to grab my wallet – unless you have cash.”

“Karen Lynn, I ALWAYS have cash.”

When we got in line he looked at my choices, “Hot chocolate and twizzlers? How friggin old are you, again?”

I scrunched my face up and snapped, “I like sugar….”

As we got to the counter something caught my eye, “oooh gobstoppers!” and I laid them on the counter.

“What are you – 7?”

I grabbed my loot and stomped out to the car.

I was crashing from my sugar high as we pulled into my driveway. Pop got outta the car and said, “I love how you’ve decorated your new patio – the empty beer bottles are a classy touch.”

Without missing a beat I said, “They’re Josh’s.”

Now here’s the thing – our friend Josh had actually contributed to the empties but A) I’m 50, B) my father is well aware that I drink beer and C) I paid for the new patio. I’m not sure what compelled me to blame somebody else.

The next day I sat and thought back to my evening with Pop. The evening that started with me feeling a tinge of sadness at the thought we were reversing rolls. And then I got a pretty good giggle goin’ when it occurred to me that the man had brought me warm clothes without me asking, paid for my hot chocolate and candy and then I lied to him about beer bottles.

Meh… I prolly shoulda let his old ass drive…

…50 years and this is all I’ve got

As I sit here on the eve of the BIG five -oh (of course, by the time you read this, I’ll have crested the old-age hill, probably tripped on an errant school bag and hurled ass over tin cups down the other side) I find myself mired in introspection and have decided that I desperately need to impart my musings, my observations, my wisdom, if you will. To that end, I’ve compiled a list of 50 self-evident truths in honor of my 50th birthday…

  1. The fucking washing machine will never fucking finish at a convenient fucking time
  2. I will give you either gift wrap and a greeting card – OR – a gift, I cannot afford both
  3. Having a spouse who is your best friend is phenomenal – until you get into a fight with one of them and want to discuss it with the other
  4. An icing recipe which yields enough icing to cover the entire cake – does not exist
  5. The only way to have a clean house is to throw a party
  6. A child who runs at the mouth for 45 minutes detailing her method for choosing which soup to have for lunch will respond to your “how was your first week of college” text with: ‘okay’
  7. The people who design vacuum cleaner attachment set-ups have never actually used a vacuum cleaner attachment
  8. If your significant other is entered in your phone under the pet name you use for him/her – know that nothing will rankle you more than seeing that fucking name pop up when you are text-fighting
  9. In the same vein – using a pet name that is only 1 letter different than your father’s name is a dangerous, dangerous game
  10. Kids can spend entire weekends doing nothing but sloughing off dead skin cells and putting empty containers back in cabinets – if this does not intrigue you, do not procreate
  11. A dog only wants to go out when you are sitting down
  12. The less money you owe, the more you can enjoy your job
  13. Any idea, statistic, or viewpoint can be argued to fit any agenda – recognize the agenda before believing the argument
  14. The fact that humans are the only species that see it as the females’ responsibility to attract the males – irritates me to no end
  15. Feelings of inferiority are like an elevator – they can take you down to resentment or up to improvement – choose wisely before stepping on
  16. There is no feeling like watching the fuel gage move to ‘F’ after driving around for 21 miles with the Low Fuel light on
  17. If you are late to work 6 days straight – check the damn batteries in your bathroom clock
  18. Taking bets on when your kid will break his new retainer is fun, right up until you win
  19. Every color is somebody’s favorite
  20. Striking out is ok, giving up a game winning home run is ok, mishandling an easy pop-up is ok, making an error on the basepath is never ok
  21. If I would’ve known how much trouble my parents were going to be – I would’ve never had them
  22. Thirty-seven hot sauces is too many and I will not entertain any discussion to the contrary
  23. I do not understand how one wastes water – I assumed it all just evaporates and goes through the cycle again
  24. A plant is only as beautiful as the soul taking care of it
  25. Pets are so intuitive they know you are home minutes before you actually get home, this intuition also allows them to know exactly where to lay to cause the most disruption
  26. Songs pledging undying, romantic love are almost always written and performed by men
  27. I’m assuming that’s because women are too busy deciding what to have for dinner… again
  28. How was it determined that every snooze feature on every alarm would last 9 minutes
  29. Always put yourself in position to walk away with your head held high
  30. Through independent research I have discovered it is funny to repeatedly forget to pick up your child from practice, the same study, however, showed 4 times to be the limit
  31. Be honest with your doctor – always
  32. The final minute of a hockey game feels profoundly different if your team has a 1-goal lead versus being down a goal
  33. Waking up at 2:30am to your child standing nose to nose with you will test your love for said child
  34. Poetry is very confusing
  35. Do not touch your retirement account until it matures, no matter what. Find another way
  36. There are 2 types of people: those who drink water after ice cream and those who drink milk after;  these 2 groups can also be classified as normals and weirdos
  37. Harriet Oleson was the original helicopter mom
  38. If you need to scare up a breeze – start sweeping your porch
  39. I claim seared ahi tuna with wasabi as my favorite food but suspiciously, I eat pizza at least 3 times per week
  40. Hold your kids accountable, they will be better adults for it
  41. Sometimes it’s necessary for a parent to flagrantly flaunt her position in the hierarchy – like when everybody favors the same living room blanket
  42. It is always more respectable to admit ignorance than to fake knowledge
  43. There are countless organizations committed to protecting the rights and dignity of every population under the sun – yet these same people remain conspicuously silent on the day the 4th grade teacher hands out those friggin recorders 
  44. Instead of buying 2 sets of average sheets get yourself a single, luxurious set. Sure, you might deserve it but more importantly that fitted monstrosity will go from bed to washer back to bed… no folding necessary 
  45. Nature is remarkable in that everything seems to serve a useful purpose, I can even (reluctantly) admit we NEED snakes and bats but… I’m going to need somebody to explain fog to me
  46. Never settle
  47. You can save a tremendous amount of money by buying Christmas gifts all year long, and! the savings can go on for years – right up until you stop finding the things you hid 
  48. Be as diligent with reporting a good experience as you are reporting a negative one
  49. Whistling is fucking obnoxious
  50. I struggle a little bit, knowing my best YEARS are behind me but I counter that with the knowledge that I truly believe my best LIFE is still ahead of me
  51. Fifty is not old but it IS the oldest I’ve ever been.

yeah, yeah… I gave myself one to grow on…

I remember in the 80’s thinking 2020 seemed a lifetime away and it has been… an extraordinary, exceptional, more-than-I-ever-imagined – lifetime. I have felt all-consuming love, I have weathered devastation, I have thought I could never love another being as much as I love my daughter, only to be proven wrong twice, I have known hard work and enjoyed the fruits of that work, I have laughed until I ached and I have pushed my body to its physical limits. I’ve eked out every bit of life that I possibly could in my 50 short years and yet I feel like I’m just getting started…

…an (anniversary) day in the life

As Dan handed me a second cup of coffee Sunday morning, his phone buzzed. He grimaced and, already knowing the answer, asked “an anniversary post on Facebook?”

I nodded while reaching for the he-gets-my-coffee-every-day-not-just-on-our-anniversary cup and sipped while he read my post which ended with: #only37togo.

See… I have commitment issues and told him early on that I could only promise 60 years, at which time we could reassess and make decisions about our future. Meanwhile, Cal gets visibly upset when I discuss my intention of leaving his father and going on the prowl at 87. He’s gonna slam me into an all-women nursing home, I just know it.

Anyway, Dan finished reading the post, threw his arm up on my shoulder then looked at me and, no shit, on. our.anniversary. said, “37 to go. We’ve already spent 23 years together. Thirty-seven more seems like so long.”

“Yeah? Ya think so?” I squinted and sorta cocked my head to the side, “Is this foreplay… cause I gotta say… it’s not really working for me.”

He blathered on about how he’s looking forward to having so much more time to love me.

Uhhhhhhh….huh.

Like I’m all tingly thinking about him tapping the salt shaker with his index finger for the next 2 score, give or take. What kind of person doesn’t just shake that sonuvabitch? It is, after all, a salt shaker. Nope… he just holds on to it with the other 3 fingers and thumb and bounces his forefinger up and down. AND! he knows it irritates me so he looks at me side-eyed while he’s doing it. Yeah, 37 years does seem like an awfully long time, asshat.

Despite the rough start, the day progressed in the usual way: gifts, cards, filling a dumpster… ok, the dumpster part is not the norm (and, now, looking back on it, I’m hoping it’s not some kind of weird, unintentional symbolism…).

The dumpster rental was actually a gift for his mom from Dan and his sister, Heidi. Their father, a wonderful man known for a quirkiness that was born out of genius, was a bit of a hoarder. The dumpster, along with our time helping to clear out 75 years of that-might-come-in-handy-some-day, was our Mother’s Day gift to her. The real kicker is: I’ve only stayed married to the man for this long to spite that woman and here I was spending my anniversary emptying her basement.

I kid… I’ve stayed married this long because I’m too lazy to get my own coffee in the morning.

And I’m certainly not trying to spite this lovely woman, who cried throughout our ceremony, underneath her black veil.

Can you tell she doesn’t read my blog?

No worries… she would chuckle if she did.

Our clean-out day/anniversary was actually a fairly nice day. Our emotions were all over the place, missing his dad, wondering how in the hell anybody could justify saving the things he saved, swimming in memories, drowning in questions we’ll never get answers to and floating in the calm that only love and a shared history can offer.

I did walk away with a little glimmer of hope regarding Dan’s (obviously inherited) hoarding tendencies, which are most visible in our basement (HIS basement… in that I refuse to go down there). His dad kept EVERYTHING but, he had it – to some degree – organized. Dan… not so much. But, after 5 days of dealing with his dad’s organized chaos, Dan has made a pact with himself to address his flotsam and jetsam lifestyle.

I’m not gonna lie: there’s a little part of me that longs for it all to stay, otherwise, I won’t be able to use ‘flotsam and jetsam’ nearly as much as I do. ‘Tidy basement space’ just doesn’t really light up my synapses the same way.

The most exciting part of our day, though, was when my husband and I retired to our bedroom.

Don’t get all nervous… my X-rating is strictly due to my propensity for using foul language. I never kiss and tell.

Bedtime was exciting because I gifted my husband a Purple mattress and pillows for our 23rd anniversary.

Incidentally, nothing says ‘I’d marry you all over again’ like an awkwardly-shaped, 145lb gift that he had to fight all the way from the shed to our bedroom and required us to spend the morning behind our bed, doing battle with dust bunnies that looked like they came straight out of Alice in Wonderland.

We were replacing a Sleep Number bed, which is an air-filled mattress that inflated to the desired level by way of a pump – that was hooked to the bed and the nearest outlet – thereby making it extremely difficult to move and clean behind that bastard.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Otherwise I’d have to come up with another reason for allowing 2 ponytail holders, 6 greeting cards, a sock (that didn’t belong to either of us), a stuffed alpaca, 3 magnesium tablets, a pen and the back of a remote to mar my carefully-cultivated dust garden. On the upside, should Dan actually get his basement squared away – it appears I’ll still have the opportunity to use the term ‘flotsam and jetsam’ here and there.

So, we slid into our 24th year of marriage on a new bed, resting our twitterpated heads on new pillows, under a new weighted blanket (the blanket itself was new, as was the experience of using a weighted blanket).

With all of this newness, I decided it was finally time to switch sides of the bed.

I’ve been suggesting this change for years. My side of the bed is nearest the door and it really bothers me that Dan is ok with me being in a position of danger like this… after all – as the man, shouldn’t he want to be killed first should we have an intruder?

Wait! I’ve changed my mind – nothing actually says ‘I would marry you all over again’ like me saying “I’d like for you to sleep on this side, so you die first.”

Now, for the record, you would think changing sides is merely a matter of moving a pillow or two, right?

Not so much.

We’ve attempted the switch no less than 7 times in the last few months. There are phone chargers, remotes (I get the channel-changing remote, he gets the tv-timer remote), slippers and years of habit all rolled into a specific side of the bed. I’ve never gotten further than standing next to his side of the bed, then backing out in a panic-stricken diatribe, “It’s too much. I can’t do it. Not tonight, I need more time….”

Last night, I pushed through. And you know what?

One night over there and I’m pretty fuckin’ certain that asshole is trying to get me killed. I mean, there is NO way an intruder would walk in and make a sharp turn to get to Dan’s new side. No, the intruder would take the easier route and go around the bed – to MY new side.. Now I understand why Dan was so willing to make the change…

He WANTED me over there.

He doesn’t know it yet, but… we’re switching back tonight.

And ya know what? He’ll just chuckle, grab his pillows and head back to his side. More than likely, he’ll stop in the middle to kiss me, with the smile still on his lips.

It’s just what he does. He listens to my whims, does everything in his power to make them happen then adores me all the more when they fail.

He’s the absolute love of my life and I hope the next 37 years last forever; I mean who the hell knows if the next guy is gonna make a decent cup of coffee or not.

…not my usual style

Ugh… I guess I can’t put this off any longer. I was trying to wait until I felt like writing one of my usual, self-deprecating, humorous stories but… it’s just not happening. I think I’ve finally reached my social-distancing, quarantine limit.

At the end of last week I started to notice a heaviness in my chest and an exhaustion in my soul. My heart was racing like I’d run a 4-minute mile wile I couldn’t even imagine walking a single lap on the track. My mind was a whirlwind of absolutely nothing – it wouldn’t shut down but it also couldn’t focus on a single, clear thought. My head and throat hurt from holding back tears and my eyes burned from the nearly-constant stream of tears.

I think it’s safe to say I am suffering moderate depression.

It came at me full force Friday – I have some recollection of specific incidents but no recollection of the day as a whole. I spent the better part of the day crying and listlessly watching, but not paying attention to, the tv. It hung on through the weekend and into today – although I do feel like it’s lifting, if even just a little.

I wish I could explain how embarrassing it is for me to admit this. And not in the this-world-is-full-of-judgmental-prigs sorta way. I’m not embarrassed for people to know I’m depressed and having panic attacks, but because I am the person people come to for help. I am the person people seek out when they are struggling.

I’m embarrassed because my ego is damaged, plain and simple.

As far as the judgmental prigs go – fuck ’em. If they think I just need to “pull myself up by the bootstraps and get over it” let ’em. All I can say is: I’ll stop being depressed when you stop letting your blood clot so much, dickhead.

Depression is a chemical imbalance – a medical condition. It’s no more self-controllable than blood clots, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, or any other disease. Which is to say – it is, to some extent, self-controllable. Like all diseases, life-style changes can help. But also like other diseases, it may require medication. Personally, I had a bad reaction to an antidepressant about 16 years ago, so I will do everything in my power to not need to medicate. But I can assure you thousands upon thousands upon hundreds of thousands of patients have used them with no adverse affects. It is up to you and your doctor to make this call – but I implore you: do NOT let misguided, jaded, unfairly-negative, public opinion keep you from it.

My single request is: please develop a treatment plan with your doctor. If you start an antidepressant regimen – start slow and go up easily. And please, please, please have a plan for getting off the meds. Treatment for depression is meant to be short-term (and the definition of short-term, is loose, at best). Do NOT be embarrassed by the need for medication but do your best to avoid it becoming a life-long dependency.

You can take the pharmacist out of the pharmacy….

My personal struggle is embarrassing to me for another reason – you see… my life is damn near perfect. I have a kind, generous, helpful husband who adores me and is also not-too-hard on the eyes. I have kids who are kind, funny, successful, well-liked and who also adore me. I have a home, that for many years, leaned toward condemnable but of late is making a helluva reach toward pleasant. I have wonderful friends. We have money in the bank – not so much that I feel the need to dress nicely but enough that I can buy brand name sweatpants.

so why in the hell am I so down? and why can’t I completely shake it????

Because this world is in a state like nothing we’ve ever known before, that’s why. Stay-at-home orders and constant political vitriol have broken me. Throw in some peri-menopause, the unexpected loss of my father-in-law (causing me to worry about Dan), the uncertainty of the world in general but more specifically, my kids’ next school year and our oldest kid graduating and you have the makins of an emotional shit storm that is spiraling out of control (although… honest to pete, I do feel a little better today).

My days used to consist of working, attending some event (game, concert, etc), eating whatever take-out food we could find on our way home then dropping into bed, exhausted and bitching about doing it all again the next day.

Now my days consist of washing dishes (our dishwasher broke 6 months ago but I couldn’t justify buying another with me having so much time on my hands), laundry (I only do mine and Dan’s and I wear the same shit a lot… where the fuck is all of this laundry coming from?) and sitting around listening to how bored my kids are, then dropping into bed, mentally exhausted and bitching about doing it all again the next day.

Poor Dan is still working, essential SOB. He comes home everyday, jealous of the people having extended time off, to me sobbing because I have extended time off.  When I was pregnant with Alex, I was put on bed rest for 2 weeks. One evening Dan came home to me, in the kitchen, scooping ice cream, “What are you doing?!?!?!?! Get back in bed, I’ll get that for you!”

I broke the bowl when I slammed it on the counter, “AT LEAST YOU GET TO GO TO WORK EVERYDAY!”

My God I can spin anything in my favor…

Also, as much as I’d like to blame the growing prodigy in my belly for that ice cream craving and emotional outburst… neither can be attributed to the pregnancy hormones… both are just straight up me.

Now… back to the point I so eloquently glossed over – depression being affected by life-style changes.

Because of my history with depression meds I am working on life-style changes. And it’s working – FOR ME. I’m telling you about my experiences because I want you to have hope that things can get better. I’m not giving you a road map to YOUR LIFE or getting better. If you like my ideas – put them to use. If, after reading about my methods, you get different ideas for helping yourself – that’s fabulous. If you just walk away from this message knowing that things can get better, then I can walk away feeling good that I came clean about my issues.

First – I have people. I most solidly lean on Dan. I am noticeably more anxious when he’s not home. It’s a tremendous responsibility for him to shoulder but as with everything, he does so without even knowing he’s remarkable. I have my kids. The constant togetherness has taken a toll on my psyche but ironically, they’re also my primary source of comfort, strength and a level of joy that no other human beings can offer. I have about 6 best friends (quit judging, I’m a lot to handle, way too much for a single person). My person in times of high anxiety is Annie. And the most important part here is – she KNOWS she’s that person. It’s important that your person know he or she is your person. Annie calms me just by being present. I think mostly I just catch her in the middle of her shit show and realize mine could be much worse (that’s obviously a joke but she’ll appreciate it).

Second – I exercise. But here’s the kicker – I.like.to.exercise. so it’s not a push or a stretch for me. I enjoy jogging and yoga. Both have their place in keeping me grounded. I enjoy pushing myself on a run (although, me pushing myself is wholly different than other people… a sub-12-minute mile is reason for celebration). I love being outside and listening to stupid music… it’s all very cathartic. As for yoga – I am stiff and sore almost all the time and yoga fixes that. I’ve found Yoga with Adriene to be the best for me. I recently read a review that said, “Adriene is the Bob Ross and Mister Rogers of the yoga world. She speaks directly to you and is calming”. And it’s true. She will push you to go further and love you when you stumble. You want to be better for her but you don’t fear failure… she’s amazing. Most days I have to forcefully remind myself how much better I feel after exercise. I wake up, come up with every excuse in the book to not exercise then finally realize that I’ll feel better if I do and I get after it.

But some days… I just don’t… and that’s ok, too. I just try not to allow myself to go more than 2 days without some form of exercise. Embrace a habit that you love – exercise or puzzling (any kind – crosswords, math, actual puzzles with pieces, whatever), drawing, painting, walking, photography… find something that interests you. And find a way to stick with it.

Third – eat healthy. Not all day, every day. But sugar is an addiction and it will bring you down. If you spend an entire day in bed but you eat an apple instead of an ice cream sandwich – fucking celebrate. Try to grocery shop when you’re in a good state – if you go when you’re down you will buy only junk. And please, if you eat a bag of chocolate chips in a single sitting – don’t be too hard on yourself. Just let yourself try to be better tomorrow.

Those are my 3 biggies – people, exercise, diet. There are other things I could go on about but… the fact is – everybody is different.  We all experience life (including depression) differently.  I don’t respond well to people offering suggestions… my mind spins enough without trying to deflect unsolicited ideas. It’s overwhelming to me. I gotta do it on my own (*said the lady who is writing an entire blog about how to fix you*).

I’m trying to learn to steer clear of social media. Social media is the night club of communication. E’body out here showing off the best of their best… while you’re sitting there feeling inadequate. I’m hugely guilty of using social media to show off… it’s what we do. But if you’re struggling to find the perspective to realize that it’s not reality, you will just let it eat away at any positivity you may have mustered. You don’t need that shit. Get away from social media when you’re really down… it will just pull you further into the depths of despair (or worse, it will end with you ranting like a lunatic and then feeling embarrassed about it later… or so I’ve heard…).

I’m being kind to myself for the most part. And I’m very open with my kids – so they know my snipping and grouchiness is not on them (although, when they’re fighting about who pours the milk for dinner most often… it might be on them). I forgive myself if I spend a day fusing with my recliner and I brag myself up when I do good things. Today is a good day for me…

Listen, you wouldn’t stand by while some asshole judged a friend, right? So why are you standing by allowing you to blast yourself? Stop it… cut yourself the same slack you’d cut anybody else.

The world is getting the best of me a lot these days. I’ve got a fracture in my foundation but I’m just not ready to crumble.

Yes, I’m depressed. But I’m worth fighting for…