A River Runs Through Him

J. fly fishing.

I wish I could've uploaded this picture better.... it shows the line on the water just as J's wrist had flicked it, ;skimming the top.  It is so beautiful. I was not on this trip camping. Over Memorial Day it was finally established that I currently can't camp. I don't know if I will again. Thankfully Padre put in a fire pit in the back yard. That is as close as I can come to it.

But what was so interesting was that with Padre's photos on my phone I felt like I was there. I honestly am so grateful for modern technology. It has made it so I could "be" with them on this vacation.

It was so peaceful to imagine and the pictures of the sun setting on the river as J. fished seemed surreal. I wonder, as his mother, how many rivers he will fish in his life. I am so grateful that he has the opportunities to do the things that he loves. I love that he loves life, has good friends, has coaches and teachers who go the extra mile for him.

I don't know what I did to "earn" him in this life. Tonight he further elaborated about the football scrimmage today saying that "they" were a bit rusty at this point but he felt confident that things would come together as the season went on. Some of the one liners he said:

"172 pounds, mom." about the guy who was crushing him on several plays.

"I tried to swim through a tackle and he just grabbed me mid air." he said and makes the hand motion of a kid holding onto an airplane and flying it through the air.

"The skinny, small guys are lucky cause the big guys can't see them."

"Once E. tackled a guy and I clapped and said: "ya-ah! way to go E!" only to turn around and briefly see the dude before he clobbered me to the ground."

Another scene he re-enacted for me was him running after the guy with the ball, turning and seeing the Big Dude running after him, and then J picking it up and simply running faster to get away from the guy. I don't know what happened to the kid with the ball. I imagine he was tackled and J. had to keep running around the mix until the kid chasing him was tired.

The way he talked I thought they got demolished but they won both of the games.

It is hard to imagine that J. could be lifted up by his football pads and slapped to the ground because J. himself is a pretty stout fella. But when you see some of the kids out there ya start wondering if they are on steroids or something. Or failed a few grades. Who knows.

Bet J. wishes he was fly fishing during brutal summer football workouts.