Thursday, September 4, 2008: Sarah’s team beats Mountain View 5-1. They look really, really impressive. Sarah looks even more really, really impressive. Awesome, actually. Inexpressible. The usual things are in place. Pinpoint passing, on the ground, in the air, redirected volleys and line drives. Superior positional play. Amazing composure. Fast as blazes. There was also something new. Now she’s channeling Caitlin. Not only is she positioning herself optimally, she’s also just plain bowling them over. I’ve worried about her size, and the possibility of injury still, always looms. But somehow, in a matter of games, she’s become a simultaneously law abiding, plain punishing defenseman. Wham! Carnage! And Sarah, still standing, then loping off with the ball. Bracing, stirring stuff, to an historical degree. (P.S. Pay no attention to that proprietary little man at the bottom right of the photograph...)
Friday, March 24, 2006
: We do lots of spring cleaning in the
yard. Sarah goes in and makes some
sandwiches, cuts some fruit, makes some lemonade, lays out some jerky and
cheese and crackers and cookies.
She arranges it all attractively and brings it out on a tray. I feel a little revelatory
stirring. Has this child made
it? There’s plenty of growing up
to follow, and stages to pass through, and the way is perilous. But I apprehend that the elements and
inclinations are in place to take her right to gainful and glorious adulthood. As she goes on to make a treasure map
(after the one that Matt got at Sena’s party) and guide the little ones through
it, I’m gratified to the point of emotion. She’s Sharon.
At twelve, she pretty consistently thinks of and does for others.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
(at the end of a continent crossing road-trip): I pull Sarah
outside and tell her how pleased and grateful I am. On this trip I
found her to be unstintingly sensible, practical,
industrious, tractable. She never
gave a moment’s trouble, or threw anything back in my face. She was
sweet with the kids. She’s fun, and funny. We’re not even talking
about those
physical and intellectual abilities, the self-sufficient quietness, the
gleam,
the wit, the skilful hands, that great overall personal attractiveness.
Real teenery may be impending, and its
thousand possible pitfalls. But if
these shadows remain unaltered by the future, this kid has made it, all
the
way. I am glad to tell her all
this, with gratitude and a full heart.
May 15, 2011: Sarah gives her youth council talk in 4th
ward. Really impressive! She organized carefully, picked the
words—the exact words—that she wanted, improvised a bit on the moment’s spur. Look at her, so modest and reined in,
yet so facially and vocally expressive.
There’s humour, but with dignity, and a self-effacing subtlety. There’s decent self-criticism, but such
reservoirs of substance and decency beneath it all. So smart, so lovely, so good. We feel very stirred.
