Court 12

This past weekend consisted of a new “first” in Florida. Carol, Abby, Carol’s family, and I played pickleball. We all had such a blast! It was my first time ever playing it. Abby’s grandpa plays pickleball consistently, which is the first time I have ever heard of the sport. Here in south Florida, there are outdoor courts in various parks designed for pickleball. It is similar to tennis, but with condensed sized courts, solid rackets, and a wiffle-like ball, so it does not bounce or have as much force compared to a tennis ball. Pictured below is a pickleball racket and ball. It’s a prime activity on the weekends because the courts were filled with groups of all ages and skill sets playing.

November 12 marked the 9-year anniversary of the passing of my cousin James. A photo of him is pictured below. He and I shared a special bond because we were close in age, and the only ones who went to the same high school. Our high school is a small and tight-knit community. Everyone shares a unique connection no matter what year you attended. He graduated before I arrived there, but he left an incredible legacy for me to follow in. I was so honored to be known as “Pooch’s cousin” by students and faculty who knew James. Despite the challenges he faced as a little person, he was a true example of how to #StandTall and proud in your shoes. He was an excellent tennis player, in which I followed his lead and played for our high school’s team in too.

I miss him tons. He was such a wonderful role model, and I wish I got the opportunity to spend the past decade growing up and learning from him. However, he always finds ways to show me he is my guardian angel through various signs – especially leaving me pennies in the most unexpected places. He even found a way to show me he was watching over me on the court this weekend while re-surfacing my rusty tennis skills. I set the bar rather low for myself because I have never attempted pickleball before. We played on court #12 for a few hours as the golden hour settled into dusk skies and the park lights became the only visible source of light. James passed on the 12th and I found myself playing on court 12, which aligned in a meant-to-be way the day after his anniversary.

I encourage you all to try something new this week to strengthen your overall physical or emotional well-being. This sport was harder than it looked, but after each round, I made more contact with the ball. I felt more at ease as I kept playing, but definitely still missed multiple swings and sent the ball flying out of bounds or directly into the net – LOL. Abby, Carol, and I already envision ourselves continuing to play weekly. It is a great work out, and fun alternative instead of going to the gym. Let me know if you try pickleball, or something new this week in general!

“Self-confidence builds when you try new things without fear of failure.” – Venkat Desireddy

Remember to stay humble and kind, always!

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xo –Jess