So today is one of those days…one of those monumental days in the life of a child and their parents where an era ends. Maybe choosing the word “era” is a bit extra, but with the way I’m feeling right now it’s the best word I could come up with.
Today, my youngest daughter will take the field at halftime of a high school football game for the very last time. To many it may seem a bit dramatic for me to write a whole blog about that, but if you know me, my family, my daughters, their coach, their band or their fellow majorettes then you will know this isn’t dramatic at all. You know this will be a very emotional evening for all of us.
You see, for the past eight years we have spent countless hours driving our girls to band practice or majorette practice, planning and organizing fundraisers, delivering mums, ferns and t shirts from said fundraisers, sitting at band booster meetings, watching band competitions 3 Saturdays in a row in the fall, sitting at football games biting our fingernails to the nub as we worry about how many “drops” she will have at halftime, and so, so much more. This has become part of our every day life and other than the soccer field and church it’s where we spend our time away from home. So yes, tonight will be super emotional for all of us.
Bailee had her senior night and her last performance 4 years ago. Anna Kate will experience the last performance this evening. Her senior night has already happened just in case Covid messed the season up. Oh and Covid…another thing that has made this season even harder and more emotional. It’s not been a typical season and for that to happen on her senior year has been super hard. It makes this night even more precious and it’s time we wish we could put into slow motion so the performance can last just a little bit longer.
Through her time of taking baton lessons, Anna Kate developed a friendship and bond with her teammate, her best bud, her sister from another mother and her ride or die. She has made a friend that will be her friend forever. They honestly had to have been created from almost the same mold. In 7th and 8th grade they marched in the band with their clarinets. They would literally get home from 3 hour band practices and talk on the phone for another hour. That has never stopped. I can’t name a time AK has not come home from band practice and gone straight to her bathroom to sit on the phone with Kenzie for another half hour at least. We are so grateful for all that she’s experienced through twirling, but especially for her friendship with Kenzie.
The other person we all gained in our lives through twirling is Patte…their coach. I’ll have to say that freshman season for Bailee…if you would have told me that one day Patte would be as close to me as my own sisters I would have laughed in your face. Patte as a coach is TOUGH. Tough on her girls and their parents. BUT…she does it because she loves them and she wants to make them not only the best twirler they can be, but she also wants them to be the best they can be in all aspects of life. In order to do that she has this innate ability to help parents cut the strings and allow them to fly! Patte has been through a lot and she’s been with us as we’ve been through a lot. We know that if we needed her she would drop everything to be there for us. She basically did do that for over a year. Patte was one of 3 amazing caregivers for my daddy and my mama. She nursed my daddy through his battle with cancer and he loved her so much! For all Patte has done for my girls and my family we are forever grateful and will forever consider her family. Tonight Patte will take the field for the last time as “coach”. She is retiring. I find it fitting she leave with AK and Kenzie because they are 3 of a kind!
Ladies….have the time of your lives tonight! We love you!
Thank you to Kim Stephens…Kenzie’s mom…for this video I am linking below. It’s their journey.
(I do not own the rights to the music in this video)
Words of Heart 