Love All

A Note From The Tennis Court

After five months off, I made my triumphant return to tennis tonight.

I haven’t had a break like this since I started playing again consistently about five years ago. 

At first it felt like I forgot quite a lot:

My wrist band.

A bandaid over the spot where that blister will form.

Sunscreen that won’t bother my eyes.

How much clay accumulates in my shoes.

The considerable stink afterwards.

But the swing. I did not forget the swing.

I love this form of play, it does so much for me. It’s freeing yet requires a lot of focus; there isn’t much space to think about anything else. 

Except tonight, back in my clay court joy and focused on that all important point-of-contact, this writing project snuck her way in. To my surprise and delight, I found myself thinking about it so much. She wanted to play, too.

And so, I must say, I also did not forget you. 

It was quite ambitious of me to get this off the ground right as I took a nose dive into the busiest time of the school year, but I don’t regret it. I’m just adjusting expectations of myself and of writing in general. It’s been a lot of trial and error, a lot of start and stop. 

I need to tend to this blister and wash off this stink, but I did not forget about you.