I empathized with the emotion of this memory piece and with the accumulations of hurts that have to heal for a child to become an adult. I wrote about my father in my early Notres in December pieces; I didn’ have to say much that was positive about him. Even as a little kid I refused to play any sport that pitted me as an individual or a a team member against any other. I was a nascent flowerchild! It made me very unpopular, especially with my father who soon gave up on me. I still abhor sports, never watch them voluntarily (maybe a few times in a bar in Italy during the World Cup!). I was lucky to marry a woman who is equally uninterested in competition and our children (and our grandchildren) never played any sports, so I never had to refuse to go to a game. Your story brought these thoughts to mind. Thank you!