I'm betting on the band Fun. to score big at the Grammys. They perform a beautiful song called Carry On that speaks to me;
If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone
Carry on
May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground
Carry on
The threat of a major winter weather event forced cancellation of a basketball tournament we were supposed to be playing in today in Inver Grove Heights MN. Ms. Erin took about 9 seconds to get over the disappointment and immediately hatch a sleepover plan with teammate Lexie.
The belly laughs I'm hearing this morning are the girls having a blast. They slept late then gobbled down some apples and cinnamon rolls and now they are back on the sofa they slept on giggling loudly to some silly TV. Dang, we missed church again. But I am confident our God would approve of the happiness that Erin is living in the moment. Carry on.
Jen and I were able to enjoy some of the happiest moments of our recovery over the past couple weeks seeing how Rochester's Girls Hockey Community embraced the Shannon Cup. Girls everywhere wearing Shannon shirts, wearing lime green hair ties, "Shannon the Cannon" printed on green tape on helmets. Everywhere we looked there were reminders of our little Irish angel.
We were able to speak with two of the teams from Rochester that won their Shannon Cup divisions (we weren't able to stay for their championship games). The 10A and 10B teams from Rochester feature mostly 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Only a few of these girls ever got to meet Shannon. We came into their locker rooms after practice Friday night to present them with Shannon shirts and remind them that the Shannon Cup and the Shannon Scholarship will need their help.
By the smiles and looks of amazement ("YOU are Shannon's parents?") I am confident these girls are going to carry on in a way that will honor Shannon's spirit for years to come. Maybe some day they will take the time to tell a new girl what it means to play for a Shannon Cup.
Monday Jen begins her fourth week of radiation therapy at Mayo Clinic. I will be in Wisconsin trying to grow my book of business. Erin will be at Willow Creek Middle School exercising her big brain. Carry on.
