2022 Life Logs, Day 103: Book Club and Soccer Practice
Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Weather: Mostly Sunny and Warm; High 63, Low 49 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Woohoo! Jed and the three Goldpebbles all tested negative for Covid today. I have not tested, but I have had no symptoms. We still have three days to go before flying to Puerto Rico, but so far, so good. Heather is still slightly congested but has no other symptoms. The scratchy throat is gone, and she says she feels fine. We are living day to day, but hoping we will be on that plane on Sunday morning bound for San Juan.
This morning my book club met once again on Zoom as a measure of Covid caution. Every member is gathering with family this weekend, so we decided to be extra cautious. Thankfully, our group has found meeting on Zoom almost the same as meeting in person. We do miss the face-to-face socialization, but the discussion of the books is just as effective on Zoom as in person. Today we discussed a book I had recommended, Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, It is a ‘must read’ if you are interested in what it might be like to grow up in modern day America as the member of an indigenous community. The author is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa Indian tribe, an Ojibwe community in the upper peninsula of Michigan. This is the setting for the book. And she is the daughter of a tribal ‘firekeeper’, a person whose responsibility it is to keep the ceremonial fire burning during spiritual activities while providing cultural teachings through stories.
This evening I took Sam to his soccer practice which was at the Cape Cod Academy fields between here and Hyannis. I enjoyed watching his game on Sunday because the team seemed so upbeat and supportive of each other. I’ve watched a lot of grandson soccer games, but I had never seen camaraderie quite like I witnessed on Sunday. Then this evening when Sam got out of the car this evening, team members ran to meet him with big smiles on their faces, even hugs. It is such a treat to see teenage boys so happy. Part of it must be cultural. Most team members and two of the coaches are Brazilian. But they have obviously ‘adopted’ Sam as one of their own. He admits that he has never had so much fun playing soccer, even just practicing, as he does with this team. How lucky he is to be associated with this team.
