Friendship Then and Now

 

We'll keep this one for itself, right here. When Leanne left town she posted this on her social media and it took us a while to realize just how amazing a photo is was. The last time we saw Leanne was seven years ago, in the year we arrived. It was October, we believe, and we were trying to work out what living in this place was really all about. It was hotter than we were used to and the city was so different from anything that we had ever experienced before. It was also difficult for the girls who had recently given up their friends to follow their parents to this new, for them, world. 

And so Leanne's arrival back then was a bridge to the known, to what we had been used to. To what we continue to cherish. She is, in so many ways, a member of our family and her return this year was a reminder of the fact that though the people in these pictures have changed over time, so much more has stayed exactly the same. 

And life, we suppose, is like that. What do they say?  The more things change the more they stay the same. Here's to a lifetime of such photos, with Leanne, with biological family and with chosen family. It takes a village and we certainly love ours, no matter where we all might be in any given moment. 

Love. To all. Everywhere. 

Got Four Days? Fly to Dubai!

Ever since we've become a family of four our flying/traveling days have become a bit harder to come by. Certainly buying four air tickets is not as simple as it was buying one or two. And we don't live in SE Asia any more, where airfares allowed a lifestyle of travel and semi-luxury. Now we're a bit more static in our approach to life, but not beyond a nudge from time to time. 

Thankfully our friend Leanne - who we worked out we've known for 20 years now! - is still as energetic about travel as she's ever been. We all shared a Thanksgiving holiday so she decided she'd had enough time without us and bought herself a ticket from Singapore to Dubai for the long weekend!  And what a weekend it was!  It had been seven years since we'd seen each other but with Leanne that kind of detail simply disappears into the here and now and sharing of stories and dreams and plans and such!

With her in town we did some roaming of our own - albeit in the UAE - and made our way to Abu Dhabi (which she asked to do as a "new place" on her list) and the Louvre and Corniche there as well as a 'new' for all of us beach on Saadiyat island (what was it called?). Of course it would not have been appropriate to not also work our way around Dubai where it had been too long even for us. Al Seef. The Spice Souq. Jumeira Madinat. And, of course, our own little neighborhood including making our way to a Thankgiving dinner hosted by our ASD friend Elizabeth!  All great things!

And, since the World Cup is on you might as well make our way to the large screen to watch some soccer. As it turned out it was the France-Denmark game which, despite a simple 1-0 score, was quite fun to watch as well!  

We don't have the photos, but in there somewhere our doorbell rang one morning, followed by the surprize arrival of one of Irini's best friends, Katerina!  She's moved to Greece this year and this was surprise for us all!  So, as Leanne and Amalia and mommy and daddy made their way across the city, Irini happily ran around town with her friends - sharing the surprise with Katerina in every passing home they visited!  

When we took Leanne back to the airport our hearts were full even if we all shared that "why did it have to be so short?" kind of thinking. We're hopeful that later this academic year we can reconnect with Auntie Leanne!  Thank you so much for coming to visit us!!

Time

The girls are getting older (and bigger) and the parents are getting wiser (and whiter haired) and with activities and jobs and this and that there are looooooong swaths of time that seem to go by without a chance to sit back and revel in those things that are meaningful and to communicate them out. Not that the routine has taken over entirely. There are many moments that are appreciated, celebrated, noticed and cherished but the time (or energy) isn't quite there to sit down, take that necessary deep breath, and communicate our those very same amazing moments with the world and, through this blog, with ourselves.   

But today we woke up a bit earlier than normal to take Leanne (it's been 20 years of friendship already!) to the airport after what has seemed like a whirlwind visit from Singapore. She came, we did a whole lot of things and as we write this she's over Oman somewhere on her way back home. Memories and photos are still with us, of course. Until, that is, memories too will fade making those photos necessary accessories in giggling our minds to reconnect with our past, in whatever way that takes form. 

So this moment, right now, is a moment to think about communicating, to think back (to what we're communicating) and to think forward (to the 'why' of our communication) and to, even for a fleetting moment, connect them through this very post. 

Love. Past, present, forward. Everywhere and any way. 

Volleyball Stars (Re)Aligning...

 

Two weeks before tryouts we weren't even sure that Irini was going to try out. The summer had been an amazing trip through Europe, the UAE heat was hitting us hard and the friends weren't trying out. In addition, daddy had decided that he wasn't going to coach this season (or year?) and, instead, focus on being a parent. As Irini tried out, and with the sheer number of girls trying out, daddy was stressed about whether or not Irini would make the team. On the last day of tryouts he snuck into the Fieldhouse and made his way upstairs to take a look at Irini playing below. He was determined to be there with her - even at a distance - in the event that she didn't make the team. As the final call in was made by the coaches he stood above, crying quietly and looking lovingly at his daughter below. Was it enough?

Two days later we all sat in an Italian restaurant and, as we waited for the meal, an email arrived informing Irini that she had made the team. Celebration all over... and daddy started crying again. Filled with pride and joy and the knowledge that volleyball will remain an important part of Irini's life. 

Two weeks later, and once the tears had subsided, he was approached by the Athletics Director to see if he might consider returning to the court side. A shift in the coaching staff meant that there was an opening for the assistant position. Daddy had a chat with Irini, to make sure that was okay with her and, given the all clear, agreed to join the team (as long as he was not involved in making personnel decisions). From there on it was an amazing journey of rediscovery for him. Rediscovery of a love of volleyball coaching (and, in particular, the 'fit'). Rediscovery of coaching his daughter (who he had coached a few years earlier). Rediscovery of the dynamic nature of teenagers in emotional circumstances and the cultivation of a sense of 'us' from a post-COVID siloed life experience. 

And so, as Irini and her teammates were celebrating their successes and dealing with the frustrations of their learning from the not-so-successful days, daddy did his thing in the background. He cheered. He yelled. He applauded. He reminded. He spoke and he listened. He did his best to grow and learn and help the team in whatever way we could. When the final whistle of the MESAC ended (after a two-hour bronze medal match) his heart was full. The stars had aligned - after a very difficult year or two - to bring a semblance of balance back to life, through volleyball. 

Irini's First MESAC

When Irini was born her parents had all sorts of dreams for her. Some were under the larger umbrella of "happy" or "successful" but some were of a more particular nature such as "be engaged in the community" or "play sports". It was in one of those more focused ones that dreams (perhaps more a particular father's dreams) came true this year. Irini tried out - one of 52 girls - for the JV volleyball team. Now in ninth grade her involvement in sports was at a cross roads of taking it 'seriously' of calling it a day. 

As things would turn out this season was a pivotal for our girls. Though this post focuses on our oldest, the truth is that Amalia also had her own similar journey (to be discussed in a different post). Irini came into the season - and into high school - carrying herself well but with the natural lack-of-confidence perhaps typical of a middle schooler growing into a new space and culture.  She was quiet, and rather shy, but over the course of two months blossomed into a confident, engaged, positive leader. At one point daddy reflected on Irini's growth by noting "you're so much more confident now", to which Irini, without skipping a beat, replied "in volleyball and in life". 

Coming out of her shell was not simply a figure of speech in these past three months (since the beginning of the school year) but also a transition that she has done through confidently and with open arms. She is meeting new friends - some through this very volleyball team - and growing each and every day. 

Which. brings us back to this season and the MESAC tournament, in particular. When tryouts took place in early September daddy wasn't so sure that our girl would make the team. He snuck into the Fieldhouse to look at tryouts from the track above, and to give her unspoken support and love. But one thing lead to another and Irini worked her way from the 52 who tried out to the 16 who made the team, to the 10 who made the MESAC roster and, finally, to the starting six. With every transition described here our girl was coming out of her shell. Communicating. Focusing. Listening. Playing.

Until finally the MESAC tournament came and she was - for two games - a critical piece in the success of the team. Coaches often have an unwritten rule of "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" and this ebbs and flows throughout tournaments. And not every player will have a high point all the time. For Irini there was a two game stretch, in particular, on the first day of MESAC that she was (according to her father, anyway) that indispensable piece of the team. This is all arguable, of course, but in this family we're seeing it that way. So 52, to 16, to 10, to 6 and finally to 2. Amazing growth and nothing but love and pride in all she does day in and day out!  

We can't wait to see where this journey takes her but our hearts and full and our sense of pride simply through the roof!