When I married Mr.FixIt, I immediately more than doubled my family. I have all these bonus kids, grandkids, and now great grandkids. I remember dreaming of having a big family like my own grandma had. And now, Mr. FixIt and I have a combined family of 8 kids (with significant others), 9 grandchildren (with significant others) and 3 greatgrands. It’s so wonderful!
My stepson and his family gave us tickets to a WVU Basketball game for Christmas. We met them at a restaurant in Morgantown for dinner before the game and had such a wonderful time. I’m learning so much from this experience…mainly how to be a better mom and grandma to my Colorado family. I miss them terribly and can’t wait to see them again. I don’t know if I can wait till summer to see them or not. We’ll see.
The basketball game was a bit of a blowout as West Virginia beat Texas 97-59. The highlight of the game came from a freshman…a preferred walk-on named Spencer Macke. He’s made a few points on foul shots this season, but had yet to score a two, let alone a three pointer. As with most young players, the coach will often bring them into the game when the score is really lopsided so they get some experience with court time.
I heard the student section cheering really loud and asked Mr. FixIt what was going on. He said Macke was about to come into the game and the students were cheering for him and encouraging him to make his first basket of his career with WVU. I loved that. I watched carefully as his fellow teammates tried to set him up with the ball. Two or three times, the ball came to him but either he dropped it or he missed the basket. There has to be a lot of pressure on a young kid being watched by 14,000 screaming fans.
Macke was being guarded tightly and could not break away. The students started chanting his name, the clock was ticking down. Then, all of a sudden, the ball was passed and Macke saw his chance. He faked out his guard, spun to his left, and let loose a high arcing shot that hit the basket from the 3-point line with seconds to spare. The crowd went wild! His teammates were jumping up and down on the sidelines. It was a sight to behold!
When the team lined up to link arms and sing “Country Roads” at center court, the team made sure Macke was standing in the middle. The older students took him under their arms and tousled his hair. Others patted him on the back and shook his hand. And, on the way off the court, he was lifted to the shoulders of the other players and carried out of the coliseum.
Such is the right of passage for a young athlete. I loved seeing the camaraderie…the encouragement from the other players…the warm enthusiasm from the crowd and his fellow students. It feels good when people lift each other up instead of feeling threatened or jealous. This is how we rise…by lifting others. It was a wonderful lesson to see.
❤️
“But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”
Exodus 17:12 ESV