# 3

Last year we had this crazy idea to rent an hour at an ice-skating rink for my Dad.  Just to have an excuse to put him back on skates.  For my brother and I who grew up watching my Dad play hockey it was a way for us to relive some of that and also show our wives and kids and our youngest brother and sister just why we have this love for hockey even though neither of us made it our sport to play growing up.

It ended up being a really great day.  Lots of family and friends came and even though lots of us learned skating is not like riding a bike it still was a great day.  The bumps and bruises earned from ice were all worth it just to get together.  To see my daughters, nieces and nephews on the ice for the first time with my Dad, their Bupa, was really something special.  They know my Dad as this soft, kind hearted, extremely thoughtful man.   They see a guy always cooking or asking who needs what to do drink or cleaning up the kitchen as we gossip and eat dessert.

But, seeing him on the ice.  Seeing his 72 year old self turn into a little kid skating laps around the ice with a stick and a puck firing it off the boards every chance he got was something pretty damn cool.  It was a glimpse into his childhood for all his grandchildren.

When my niece mentioned this year she wanted to learn how to skate to my Dad he lit up.  He found the rink, paid the dues and volunteered to be an assistant on the ice with her.  Man, she was awful in that first week.  Complaining about falling, and her hurt knees and elbows and how heavy everything was.  But my Dad was out there smiling and pushing her to do the next drill, learn the next trick.  And I couldn’t get enough of it.  I showed up for my niece, my god daughter, because I always show up for her, but selfishly, I wanted to see my dad on that ice.   

She got better, started enjoying her time and asked to take the next step and join a team.   She got her Bupa to take her to the hockey store and buy all the equipment.  A thing I know for a fact her Bupa would have paid infinity dollars to do.  Hockey is in his blood.   But now it meant that she didn’t need Bupa on the ice.  Her security on the ice would be gone.  Would she be ready?

I had to miss the first game but her family showed up for her.  She scored her first goal and I got sent a video of it from my Dad and a text from my wife and daughters that she scored all at the same time.  She was well represented. 

For her second game my family already had plans, but I knew I needed to break them to see her play.  I knew this wasn’t the Boston Bruins skill wise, right.  It’s kids learning how to hold a stick, how to fall down and take 3 minutes to try and pick up their stick before a coach has to help. But I got a text from my brother asking where I stood to watch.  And, to my surprise, almost my entire family was there to watch her.  I guess I should not be surprised because my family shows up for everything.  I started to notice that years ago when my brother Doug would be at everything for his nieces.   I owe him for life for that.  I try so hard to never miss anything his kids are involved in.  He deserves that.  We don’t use “I love you’s” often or call each other on the phone to chat or hug when we see each other but our kids are how we show up for each other now. 

Anyway, at her game we all watched and laughed and cheered our Maya on.  She didn’t score, probably because I was there, but my god did we have a great time watching her every move out there on the ice.    As she came off the ice she hugged everyone who watched her.  She was smiling and taking it all in.  As I got in my car I took a look in my rear view mirror but caught a glimpse of my ugly face.  I was smiling ear to ear just as she was.  To be honest I was a bit shocked I wasn’t tearing up as I am known to do or as I am now as I write this story. 

Will she stay with hockey and become a professional someday and ask her god father to be with her when they raise her retired number to the rafters in whatever rink she plays in because he loved hockey just as much as she did?  Doubtful.   But, as long as she is on the ice I know where my Dad, her Bupa will be.  I know he will be at whatever game 10 minutes early because he factored in traffic and having to pee everywhere he goes before an event starts. 

I wonder when we rent out a couple hours on the ice this year as a gift to my Dad if my family will use this story as an excuse to call it a gift for me and get me nothing else….

No one show them this story…

Forever and always the luckiest guy in any room I’m in.