It was a bit of a déjà vu or, at the very least, that feeling of coming around full circle.
On a sunny but cool Saturday morning this past weekend, Papa and I were settled in our folding camp-style chairs on the sidelines cheering a youngster on the soccer field just like we’ve done countless times before in the past.
But this time, Mama and Papa were gray-haired and years older. This time, we weren’t cheering our own youngsters running up and down the length of the playing field. This time we were encouraging our four-year-old granddaughter during her very first ever soccer game.
Incredulously, our Little One began her first soccer season this spring, learning the sport that her own mommy loved and played continuously through her school years and into college.
Incredulously, our Little One looked so big with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and clad in her YMCA soccer shirt, shorts, shin guards, knee-high socks, and cleats, carrying her water bottle. Where did the time go???
Wasn’t it just yesterday, she was a newborn baby and those feet now sporting soccer cleats were tiny little barefoot ones? Wasn’t it just yesterday she was learning to say “ba, ba, ball” instead of kicking around a bright pink soccer ball of her own?
And wasn’t it just yesterday this Mama was the one hauling her own children to sports practices, games, and meets? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was a “soccer Mom”? And a baseball Mom, a cross country Mom, a track Mom, a volleyball Mom, and a basketball Mom?
And now I’m a “soccer Nana”. You blink and no longer are you parents of young athletes playing their favorite sports. Now you are doting grandparents reliving those days gone by as you watch the grands growing up.
Now in these empty nest years as grandparents, we’re smiling, cheering, clapping, and laughing while trying to capture moments with our cell phone cameras at the antics of four and five year olds as they attempt to maneuver the ball into the net.
We have always jokingly called soccer at this level “bunch ball” as the players bunch around the ball trying to kick it. And bunch they did even if our Little One was a little hesitant to immerse herself into the fray.
She did make her mommy, Nana and PaPa proud as she managed to kick the ball (in the right direction too!) and jump back up without crying when she got knocked down.
As this empty nest Nana recalls sweet memories from years past of all of those activities of our own children when they were young, I’ll be eagerly making new ones with the grandchildren.
So for the next few weeks if you need me on a Saturday morning, you can find me on the sidelines of the soccer field. Here we go again!
“As I grew older I thought the best part of my life was over…then I was handed my first grandchild and realized the best part of my life had just begun.” ~ unknown
(Note: Neither my grandchild nor her teammates are depicted in the photo above. In order to protect their identities, I chose not to publish a photo of them, but use a stock photo from the WordPress free photo library instead.)
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Mama's Empty Nest 
I so remember events like these with our sons and can not wait to be a part of it again when they hopefully add babies to our family. Time will tell but I am ready1
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You will LOVE it!
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Oh, you brought tears to my eyes this morning. Every time I do anything “fun” with my granddaughter, it brings back memories of doing the same things with her dad and her uncle. Where on earth has the time gone? My little boys are now grown men, and my granddaughter (like yours) is four and registered for junior kindergarten in the fall. It’s all too much, too soon, too fast but I’m trying my best to savour every moment I can this “second time around”. (Her Dad played baseball from the age of 5 until he was 18; I wonder if she’ll do the same? So far she doesn’t seem much interested in sports, although she loves gymnastics, which is what her Uncle participated in during his younger years. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough where her interests lie!)
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You understand exactly the emotions I was feeling sitting at that soccer game. Oh, but those years went by so quickly as we were raising our own children and I just want to stop time now with the grandchildren so they stay little. But time marches on and so must we.
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