Having A Catch

Currently not in a leadership program text, in the coursework, or on the exam: Having a catch with a six-year old little boy who doesn’t know his father will die later that day.

The fight is over, and his father lost.

So we had a catch. Just the two of us.

Each tight spiral or miraculous grab was stamped with his smile and expert analysis on how to throw and catch a football.

Sometimes we ran one-man patterns toward the end zone. Sometimes we talked about how oddly a football bounces when we miss it. One time he made a fingertip catch while tiptoeing around the sweatshirt he shed to show me his Eagles jersey.

A couple of times my throws were really awful. I think I was distracted.

A couple of times his throws were way off the mark. I don’t think he was distracted at all. Not yet.

When we finished, he asked to have lunch together. So we did.

Eventually, his mom came to pick him up early. He had no idea why.

Remind me again about the importance of lateness policy, homework, and state testing.

I’m all ears.