The second game of Reilly’s six game “Covid-19 global pandemic we are lucky to play sports at all” soccer season was tonight. Oddly, and not oddly at all, the athletic directors insisted on senior night being in the first week. We were fortunate to wait until the second. It’s a bittersweet time and super strange because it happened in September. I have to think it was a first.

I’m confident, after giving this sweaty guy a hug at half time and feeling a huge lump in my throat starting to form, this will he yet another time in my life that I should have done better. I should have minimized the post game car ride lecture series OR at least changed the tone. It’s a bummer it takes so long to really empower your kid versus embracing where they are at. Although I constantly justified my lecture series by telling myself I was really motivating. Ha. I’m not sure my tough love 50 year-old perspective did anything more than annoy him.

I will give Reilly credit, he always listened. He didn’t say much during that series and he became a great athlete and learned a lot about being a teammate as well as how to lead and how to win and lose.

The picture below makes me so proud and makes me cry all at the same time. A bit of a “this IS IT” and even more of a “wow, he did it!” I am in awe of this guy and I don’t really want this time when I just admire him to end.

Way to go Bubby. You are good at what you do. Four more games mark the end of an era in the Hansen house. ❤️😢⚽️