I don’t know exactly when it happened.
Somewhere between vacation photos, baseball games, and the everyday chaos of life, it hit me that there are a lot of “lasts” happening these days.
The tricky part is that most of them don’t announce themselves.
Nobody tells you, “Hey, pay attention. This is the last time.”
Life just keeps moving, and before you know it, a moment that felt completely ordinary has quietly become a memory.
This time of year always seems to bring that into focus. Between the end of the school year, graduation celebrations, awards ceremonies, and sports seasons wrapping up, it’s easy to feel like life is moving at double speed.
State tournament games have been played. Seniors have put on uniforms for the last time. Parents have sat in the stands completely unaware that they were watching a chapter close.
Not because they weren’t paying attention.
Because nobody ever knows it’s the last time until later.
I thought about that a lot during vacation last week. Being a grandparent gives you a fresh perspective on a great many things.
Watching Oliver explore, laugh, and experience the world through the eyes of a child reminded me just how quickly these seasons move.
One minute you’re carrying them everywhere, and the next they’re charging ahead of you. One day they’re asking you to tie their shoes, and before long they’re insisting they can do it themselves. The changes happen so gradually that you barely notice them until you look back and realize just how much has changed.
One day you’re wondering if they’ll ever stop talking.
And then suddenly you find yourself wishing they would tell you one more story.
Sports have a way of putting a spotlight on all of this.
We celebrate the firsts.
The first game.
The first hit.
The first basket.
The first time they make a big play and look into the stands to make sure you saw it.
But nobody talks much about the last first time.
The last first day of practice.
The last season with a particular group of teammates.
The last road trip.
The last tournament.
The last time they reach for your hand without thinking about it.
The last time they need you in quite the same way.
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And if we’re honest, most of us are so busy managing schedules, hauling kids all over creation, answering emails, returning texts, and trying to keep up with everyday life that we miss some of those moments entirely.
I know I’ve been guilty of it.
There are days when I’ve been so focused on getting to the next thing that I forgot to appreciate the thing I was in.
That’s part of why vacation felt so important.
For a few days, the calendar stopped running the show.
The notifications quieted down.
The endless to-do list took a back seat.
And I was reminded of something I think we all need to hear from time to time:
Be where your feet are.
Because these seasons don’t last forever.
The practices end.
The games end.
The vacations end.
The little-kid years don’t last forever.
And one day we’ll find ourselves scrolling through old photos trying to remember details that seemed impossible to forget.
Not because we weren’t paying attention.
But because time has a way of moving faster than we expect.
So if you’re sitting in the stands this week watching a game…
If you’re driving to practice…
If you’re packing for one more summer trip…
Or if you’re simply sitting across the table from someone you love…
Pause for a second.
Look around.
Take it in.
Because while we spend so much time celebrating firsts, I’ve come to believe it’s the unnoticed lasts that deserve our attention too.
And maybe the greatest gift we can give ourselves is being fully present before they become memories.
Because you never know when you’re living a moment you’ll someday wish you could have back.
And that’s how the ball really bounces.
Read more from How the Ball Bounces with Bekka in the archives at www.mysaline.com/bounces.
About the author: Bekka Wilkerson is a lifelong lover of all things sports. Raised in a super athletic household it was no surprise when she too began to love sports at a young age. It seems like from the time she could walk she had a softball bat in her hands, but her true athletic passion came from all things Basketball. That love served her well as a Bryant High School Lady Hornet and ultimately earned her a full scholarship to play at the University of Central Arkansas – among many other adventures.
These days Bekka can be found running around Saline County with her husband, Speedy, or chasing one of her grandsons. She is also the Executive Director of The EMpact One Foundation, a Saline County Nonprofit Organization that helps young people stay connected to extracurricular activities through tuition assistance and equipment provisions.
Reach out to Bekka with questions and/or ideas about things you want to see in this column at [email protected] and learn more about The EMpact One Foundation at www.empactone.org.
