There is one team in particular that will always stand out in my mind as 'the one'. Like Gretzky - it was the great one. It was a hockey team I played on years ago. There was something about this group of girls. We had chemistry - we just clicked. I was in University and was spending many weekends in the winter traveling all around Ontario with this team. We had fun playing a game we loved. Whether we were on road trips in the car, in our rented team vans or buses - we made so many memories. We didn't become 'the one' overnight either. Some of us played together for a few years. Some players left, some new ones joined - but at some point we had formed the perfect group. It was a time of my life I was very happy.
We worked very hard that season and we had a really good team. One of the older player's once said to us after a game; "You know, I've played on other teams with a lot more talent, but I've never played on a team this good." We all laughed, but we knew it was because of our chemistry.
At the end of that season we played our final game at the provincials in Brampton. The one we had practiced and prepared so much for - and we won. Champions. We were the number one team in Ontario and it felt amazing. We lined up on the blue line in anticipation of them announcing our team so we could accept our trophy. I looked over at my good friend beside me. She was someone I had played with for years and someone who is NOT emotional - but she was crying. Not an overjoyed happy cry either. It was a cry of sadness. Surprised of course, I asked her what was wrong. She said "It's over. I can feel it". I was caught off guard. I had no idea what she meant. Then she said "This is it for us. It's the end of our team. Were done and I'm sad." A few of us told her she was crazy - that we would all be back next year to do it again - like we always did. But she said we were wrong and continued to cry. Which, of course, spread like wildfire and then everyone was crying - even our coaches.
I will never forget that moment of my life.
And it turned out - she was right. That next year our team DID fall apart. It blindsided me. It changed everything. Friendships were lost and people were hurt. Directions of peoples lives changed that year.
But here is what I don't get. How did she know? It was a time when everyone was celebrating a victory. A time when everyone was happy with who we were and what we had done. A time when we had no indication of the fall out to come. I don't know how, but somehow she just knew.
Sometimes you get a feeling in your gut. I've yet to encounter a time in my life where my gut was wrong.
I guess she had a moment too.
2 comments:
Sometimes when something or someone has reached its pinnacle, there only way to go is down. It's depressing I suppose, so rather than be so blunt and cold about it, it's more like recognizing the awesomeness of a moment and savoring it because you know from experience that things change. The more changes we observe and undergo, the more self-aware we become. Some people call it wisdom, but I've yet to figure out if "wisdom" is just a pretty word for getting old.
That was sad. I wish your team kept on winning, too. I would have liked to see that for you. But I've always been so proud of you for being on a winning provincial hockey team! I tell people about that when I tell them about you. :-)
There are these moments of perfection in life and is it possible that when we try to hold on to them forever and stretch them into being more than they could ever be, that we're not really appreciating them?
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