There is no rational reason why this championship should be anything more than a marker of accomplishment for the team. This is what makes the volume of emotion I have about it so amazing. Maybe the deep waters of being a parent who wants the best for their child can explain it. Perhaps the fact that the fleeting smile of achievement gives them a moment to just BE, gives me comfort in a world where we expect so much from our kids. That they can be "presently" happy in the temporary glow of reaching a goal before life whisks them on to another set of expectations. Happiness can be hard to come by in a pressure filled world. The smiles and cheers a bit of relief from the daily grind and a reminder that there is a relationship between work and reward.
In conversation with Connor a few days ago, and more than a week from the game, he told me he didn't understand why people were making such a big deal out of this. On one hand, I am thankful that Connor is looking forward to greater accomplishment in his life. After all holding onto past glory can lead to significant decline down the road. On the other hand, I want to tell him to savor this just a little longer. Later in life his perspective might change and he might wish he took the time to realize what he had when his high-school team won their third consecutive state championship. The third option - to let it ride. To let the result of this be wholly his with his team. To let him reflect on it however he feels best fits the context of his life. Ultimately the third option seemed most appropriate.
Between the beautiful weather, the intensity of the game, and shared experience with friends the outcome of the day's events were near perfection. I am writing this to my future self as a reminder that on a day like Saturday, perfection (if you believe in such things), is rarely the consequence of expectations. Not the overriding expectation of achieving what you set out to do, but the expectation of how it is going to reveal itself. Perfection is more a state of mind than it is a state of things. This achievement was the result of a lot of work and planning, with a lot of people in the right place at the right time, in the right frame of mind reaching for the same thing. Every individual playing an important role in the result. Every individual with their own motivations. In a world with so many moving parts this kind of fine-tuned resonance is not permanent but visits you once in a while on a sunny afternoon when the chips fall just so, and the smile of Fate greets you as a friend.
Selfishly, I think I might try to hold on to that feeling for a little while. Even though the championship is not mine to hold on to, I'm sure I can feel good about it for a while longer. Happy Days!