My "All Star"

Just when I thought that t-ball was over with and Mary Claire and Jonah had endured their last game and last of the ballpark hot dogs and such...

The all-star list was called out... AND JOHN OWEN HENSLEY made the all-star team! Congratulations, John Owen!
John Owen and teammate Toby Neal

(Now, what I was really thinking was...REALLY?! All-stars for T-BALL?! What are they gonna do? See who plays in the dirt the best? hehe Just kidding. Oh well! Here we go! )

I couldn't help but think of my own parents who spent COUNTLESS hours driving to and from games, literally traveling almost half-way across the world to be there for me when I played, and I know it was out of love for me that they were there for every game cheering me on, lifting me up when I was down and encouraging me in something they knew that I loved doing.

Two more weeks of scheduled practices and games. Those of you who know me (and know how I love athletics and loved being involved in athletics myself) are probably wondering why I sound as though I am complaining, but really I think that it's that I am trying to get used to the idea of my little boy growing up more than anything else! I see how much he likes to play baseball and how good he is, how much he has improved even when faced with two somewhat challenging seasons. He spent all of last week in baseball camp with the "big boys" and every day that I picked him up, he seemed a little more "grown up", and I found myself looking at a child who was now sitting in the car telling me things about baseball he hadn't said before and showing interest in the radio and the songs we listened to and it was a "FLASH FORWARD" that made me feel good about the "cool guy" that sat beside me, but sad at the same time to know that that "guy" was my little boy!


I am not ready for big time baseball. I just want him to have fun because I KNOW from experience that he'll have plenty of time later for "baseball life" and for baseball to consume his life if he so chooses.

But I also want him to be happy, and I am so happy for him having made all-stars because it makes him happy! I sat and watched him in his first all-star practice last night and was so proud of him as he threw with great accuracy from the outfield and second base, as he batted and made sure his coach knew he could hit right-handed AND left-handed! (We had a little "heart-to-heart" after practice about this. :-)) I am looking forward to seeing him play on another team this weekend and seeing how they do. And just like my parents did for me, I'll be there cheering him on from behind the fence. Because he is MY "all-star"! Even if he hadn't made the all-star team, he's always an "all-star" to me!