Nothing Better Than Good Friends and a Good Groundstroke

My youngest, Benjamin, started the four-year-old pre-school this year. While I am still dealing with the challenges of the half day pick up, he is now in school three instead of just two mornings per week. I jumped on the opportunity to use the extra morning to start taking tennis lessons with a couple of my friends.

I have good tennis genes. My mom is an excellent tennis player; she started playing in her thirties. I hesitated to start playing until now because I was able to exercise at the YMCA with childcare available. I didn’t want the hassle of trying to get a babysitter to play tennis.

I had been best friends with both of the two girl friends at different points of my growing up years. They agreed to commit to the private tennis lessons. I had maintained good contact with one of my girlfriends steadily over the years, and we continued to socialize today. I had drifted away from the other friend as high school started. We all reconnected at a grade school reunion we helped organize over the summer.

At about our second or third lesson, I remember entering a state of awe and gratitude during one of our drills. First, the beauty of the facilities we were playing at left me breathless. We use public courts, but these are some of the loveliest courts you’ll find. The tennis club is sunken down and nestled between the convergence of the Big and Little Arkansas River. Robust trees and vegetation surround it. The surface of the courts was recently redone; they were a dazzling blue center framed by green.

Then I thought of my friends. Even though I had not hung out with both of them consistently over the years, there was a definite comfort there. It was relaxing. I felt like I could completely be myself. It was a feeling like you could just be with each other and not say a word and be just fine with that.

Then I told myself to enjoy what I was experiencing right then.

This is the essence of living in the present moment.

On that day I would have no idea that because of our tennis lessons, I would be in a position to offer one of my friends comfort and love at a time of great need. Learn more about it in part 2.

Catholic Women’s Guide to Healthy Relationships Tip: Start getting to the habit of noticing and bathing yourself in the simple as well as the special moments God gives us in the present moment.