When I Knew

1971, Abilene, Texas

My father was tossing a football with my brothers in the front yard. Seeing me sitting alone on the steps, my mother took my dad aside. “Dub,” she said, calling my dad by his nickname, “I think Steve is feeling a little left out. Why don’t you ask him if he’d like to play too?”

So my dad walked over. “Wanna throw the football some?” he asked.

“I’d really rather go pick flowers,” I replied.

And we did.

My father, a former football coach, spent the rest of the afternoon picking flowers with me in a near by field.

—- Steven Orr (from the book, WHEN I KNEW)