2019 and An Attitude of Gratitude

Today, on the 304th day of 2019, I sat in the stands and watched Alexa play Varsity FH for her school for the last time.  Yes, that means that on 10/31/19, Haddonfield defeated Collingswood (6-1) for the Group 1 NJ Section Championship.  What a fun season it has been and, as I sat there just taking it all in as the seconds ticked down to the end of an era, I just could not help but to be filled with gratitude for Alexa's Field Hockey Career.  From the first time she attended a camp behind OPS, to when she played for Oaklyn as a 5th grader, to her three years as a starter for the Middle School Varsity, to her games with the Colls Travel FH Club, to all of the Futures sessions and tournaments, to these last four years playing for Collingswood HS Field Hockey.  I will admit to not always knowing the rules of the game (STILL), but I know I can recognize the skills she gained as an on-field player (thanks to her hard work and the excellent teachings of ALL of her coaches)...

It's day #303 of 2019, a palindromic day.  And maybe that's why, even though my stomach forced me to work from home today, it was a productive day and I got to spend the day with Skylar, my dog!  And now, in the evening of 10/30/19, we are watching the 7th game of the World Series.  I have no real rooting interest in this game, I have reasons to root against both teams and I have friends who are fans of both teams, so i am just interested in watching good baseball.  And, it's bittersweet, because this is the last baseball we will watch until Spring Training in Feb/March..... The Void, it's tough, but we will survive.  Tonight, my gratitude is for the World Series.  I know baseball is a sport that does not move fast enough for many people, but it will always be my first sports love.

On the 302nd day of 2019 I received a text from CVS that a prescription had been filled and was ready for pickup.  And so, on the way home from work on 10/29/19, I stopped there and picked it up.  And, as I got home and looked at the accompanying paperwork, I gasped.  Retail Price: $1,470.99.  Coupon: $75.01.  Amount Due: $24.99.  All because I am lucky enough to work at a job that has a decent prescription plan.  So that is where my gratitude lies tonight.  I am grateful for health insurance.  And, honestly, while I am grateful that I have it and it made my Rx affordable, I also feel guilty because there are SO many people who are not as lucky as I am who cannot get the life sustaining medicine they need without going bankrupt (or not at all).  I really hope that we, as a country, can figure this all out.

We had a great day of day #301.  Well 10/28/19 did not start off so great.  I had stomach pains all night and they continued into the morning and through the afternoon.  So I stayed home from work and reserved my strength because we had to go to Alexa's FH Playoff Game.  Seminfinals against Cinaminson and THEY WON in the final second: 2-1.  But that is not what I am most grateful for tonight.  Because 10/28 is the anniversary of Sarah and me starting to date.  SO, while I am really happy that the CHS FH Team will be playing in the Championship Game on Thursday, I am even more grateful for 25 years of love!

So day #300 of 2019 was a pretty normal Sunday.  Church was amazing, because I LOVE the music of Reformation Sunday.  Then we spent the afternoon and evening watching sports and hanging out and doing homework and being together as a family.  But the most remarkable thing about 10/27/19 was that, as a part of the college application process, I tackled the FAFSA.  Now, working at Penn, I have referenced and heard referenced the FAFSA about a million times.  But now the tables are flipped and _I_ am the one who had to complete it.  I was very nervous, to be honest, and I was putting it off.  But, guess what?  It was not that bad.  And it's done!  WHEW!  So, tonight, I head to bed, ready to face the coming work week, with gratitude for the fact that we completed the FAFSA.  And that's one of the process' hurdles that have been cleared.

What a busy day the 299th day of 2019 was.  We got up, did errands, and hustled over to Franklin Field to play in the Band (most of them were at the road-game at Yale) at the Sprint Football game.  The game was notable because it was Coach Wagner's last home game as the Head Coach of Sprint Football.  This is his 50th season as the Quakers' Head Coach.  I was all set, on 10/26/19, to have my nightly post be about Coach Wagner and he truly is deserving of any accolades he receives.  But, after we got back from the game, we headed over to Knight Park to volunteer for the CMS/CHS Haunted Hayride Fundraiser.   This is a tradition that had been stopped and had not occurred for about 14 years.  But this year a group has restarted it and I joined on because of the PTA and OMAYSC connections.  We had no idea how many people would come and, frankly, I was worried it was going to be like we were throwing a party and nobody came.  Whelp, my fears w...

Do you remember where you were 21 years ago?  I do!  And not because it's Juan Soto's 21st birthday.  On the 298th day of 2019, I remember the 298th day of 1998.  Because 10/25/19 is the 21st wedding anniversary of my sister, Abigail, and her husband, Erik.  They live on the West Coast so I do not get to see them as much as I would like, but their love for and dedication to each other and their family is unmatched.  Now their union is old enough to drink and they, as Sarah and I are, are preparing for their 1st child's graduation from High School.  This year is making me acutely aware of how quickly time is marching on but I hope that today, Abigail and Erik got to stop and smell the roses and reflect on the good times from the past 21+ years (when you include dating).  Me, I am heading off to bed filled with gratitude for 21 years of A and R vanRoode.  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Over the past decade, I have spent many an afternoon sitting on the sidelines of Markwick/Ritter Field, watching Collingswood Field Hockey.  From my niece Ashley's HS career, through the last four years watching Alexa and her teams.  And, on the 297th day of 2019, I was there again, maybe watching Alexa play FH in Knight Park for the last time.  Colls FH won their Playoff Game on 10/24/19, 3-1 against MaplesShade.  But, as the #3 seed, it looks like the Semi-Finals and (hopefully) Finals would be played on the road (barring an upset of the #1 seed).  A wave of emotions came over me as the game ended, happy for the win, and a bittersweet feeling at the end of an era.  I am so grateful for the times and my gratitude is for Markwick/Ritter Field and the memories I will always have.  The games, the parents on the sidelines, the goals, the wins, and even the losses..... time is moving on.

For the past two days, we have been busy at work in a vendor on-site.  So the 296th day was spent in a large conference room but, on 10/23/19, it was filled with some really good discussion, interesting brainstorming, and collaborative problem solving.  But, as I headed to my car, and reflected on the past two days, I realized why it went so well.  It's due to the people who handled all the details that, alone may seem mundane, but when put all together it really made things move smoothly.  Organizers, documenters, people who arrange food delivery, these are the people who influenced us and helped us, and we may not have even noticed.  SO, tonight, my gratitude is for the people who help make things smooth.  I need to be sure I thank them a LOT tomorrow!

The 295th day of 2019 was a long one at work.  We had an early start to a vendor on site on 10/22/19 and then a Student Demo in the afternoon and then a dinner out.  So I am tired and I am not going to write much.  But I will express my gratitude for sorbet.  After a nice dinner, sorbet is a great way to end the meal in a sweet and light manner.  YUM!

So, there I was, sitting in a familiar place on the evening of the 294th day of 2019.  10/21/19 was the last game of the Merchantville Mustang Fall Ball Softball season that we can attend (we are over scheduled next Monday night).  I could not help getting nostalgic.  It's been a fun season and our next season (Spring 2020) will be the last for Alexa.  Sheesh, I think I have been watching her play softball for 14 years.  I am sure there will be time for more nostalgia in the Spring, so tonight, I will just show my gratitude for our softball family.  They are awesome!

I am sorry to be posting this entry so late for the 293rd day of 2019.  The palindromic 10/20/19 was an excellent day.  It was the last day of the Fall OSA Leadership Weekend Retreat and, after wrapping it up with an amazing group of colleagues and students, I returned home to my family and had a quiet evening at home.  The only blemish yesterday was that awful game that the Eagles played <crying!!!>  But, putting that out of my mind, I want to focus my gratitude on my leadership weekend colleagues.  This weekend did an amazing job of reminding me why I enjoy working in Higher Education so much and how amazing the colleagues are with whom I work.

I am writing this quite late after the 292nd day of 2019 has actually ended.  That is because 10/19/19 was the 2nd day and final night of the Leadership Weekend Retreat.  The traditional game of Trivial Pursuit was played, pitting the students against the staff.  And, although it took a modification of the game to allow for a Sudden Death round at the end (we had to get done and get to bed!), the Staff won!!  My gratitude is for Trivial Pursuit (the 1981 original Genus version) and for this LW tradition!

On the 290th day of 2019, I left work and headed off to the Pine Barrens.  Why?  Because 10/18/19 is the first day of Penn's OSA Leadership Weekend.  Although I do not work on a daily basis with students, but they remain the reason why I feel Higher Education is important.  And I always get amazing inspiration from these students as we facilitate the activities of the weekend.  Tonight, I am grateful for student leaders.  They give me hope for the future (if we do not mess things up before they can get to where they can make changes).

You know how nice it is to have dependable friends?  On the 290th day of 2019, I know!  When I needed help on 10/17/19, I only had to make one call (well, to be honest it was a text) and, voila, my friend came through for me.  And I am s much better off for it.  SO, tonight, my gratitude is for friends that are one call away.  I try to be one as well, but tonight, I needed one and they came through. <3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxuY9FET9Y4

At the end of the workday on 10/16/19, I ended up in Houston Hall.  Because, on the 289th day of 2019, I volunteered at Penn's Annual Flu Clinic.  I think this event is fantastic.  Thousands and thousands of students, staff, faculty, and even some alumni receive their necessary vaccine against the flu.  Penn Nursing students get to perfect their skills and do what they want to do in the future.  The Penn Band provided a musical interlude after a long day for the amazing employees of Student and Campus Health.  My gratitude tonight is for Penn's Flu Clinic.  One of the shining events in the Fall semester.

I was off of work on 10/15/19.  It's because the 288th day of 2019 was the Senior Day for Collingswood Field Hockey and I did not want to risk being late.  So we headed to Knight Park and we made it through the ceremonies with only a few tears, we watched an 8-0 victory, Alexa got a goal off of a corner!, and then we had a really nice celebration with speeches from the Juniors for the Seniors (more tears, a lot of tears).  And as I was sitting there watching it all, I could not help but think how much gratitude I have for Alexa's Field Hockey Coaches through the years.  Starting with her unofficial coaches, but the major inspiration for her playing the sport (she was a soccer player, and I thought that would be her Fall sport), Ashley and Jackie Walters.  They got her interested in the game and gave her familial role models to aspire to.  Then, her first School Coach in the 5th grade at OPS, Miss Shernoff (now Tosh).  So lucky that OPS allowed 5th grad...

Something was different as I drove to work on the 287th day of 2019.  On the drive in on the morning of 10/14/19, there was almost no traffic.  I remembered, then, that today is a holiday and a lot of schools in Philadelphia and NJ are closed.  So my commute this AM was a dream and it was a great way to start the day and start the week.  So I am grateful, tonight, for an easy commute on a federal holiday.  WOOT!

The 286th day of 2019, as Sundays often do, started at Church.  And, on 10/13/19, we honored St. Francis of Assisi and we brought our pets to be blessed.  And we had a wonderful service in the Church's Garden (our Garden of Eden, if you will) and Skylar received her blessing (even if she was very nervous and jumpy the whole time).  I am grateful that I am a member of a congregation where we stop and think about animals and the environment and we have this service, yearly.  My gratitude is for the blessing of the animals today and, in blessing them, we received blessings ourselves as well.

The 285th day of 2019 fell in the middle of Penn's Fall Break.  So, since there was a home football game on 10/12/19, the girls and I went to campus to play in the Band to supplement the smaller group.  I cannot remember the last time I wore the Penn Band Sweater in an official capacity and Alexa had one too and Anna her Pep Band shirt.  It was fun to be back at it and I think the girls had fun too.  I am really glad that they agreed to come and even happier that they enjoyed themselves.  So, yes, my gratitude today is that my kids were in the Band!  It's great to see them participating in something that has been such a big part of my life on campus.  Fight On, Pennsylvania!

The 284th day of 2019, 10/11/19, is also National Coming Out Day.  This fact made me think about people who do not feel comfortable coming out, or are experiencing circumstances that makes it dangerous for them to do so.  I pray for a world where people do not have to be in, and therefore there is no need to come out.  But, until that happens, my gratitude is for those people who have felt comfortable coming out to me.  I am glad that they saw me as "safe" and I hope that anyone who needs to find their safe space and safe person can do so.

10/10/19 is World Mental Health Day.  So I spent a lot of the 283rd day thinking about how important it is for us to remove the stigma that mental health seems to face.  And the people who are on the front lines of this issue, Mental Health Professionals.  At Penn, I work with some of the hardest working mental health professionals I know.  At the EAP, I encountered a wonderful mental health professional who helped me get through  a tough time.  And, in my town, I see my neighbors who are mental health professionals bring some of their work home, not on purpose, but it's on their mind.  So, tonight (and most days), I have immense gratitude for mental health professionals.  Thank God for them and I pray for their own self-care.

On the way to work on the 282nd day of 2019, Chris Carter of the Beatles Channel reminded us that 10/9/19 would have been John Lennon's 79th birthday.  What a musician John Lennon was.  He and the Beatles transformed music as we all know and experience it and he was taken from us FAR too soon.  On this palindromic (282) day with a numerological data (10+9=19 10/9/19), I am grateful for John Lennon.  Almost as much for his messages of peace and love as for his transformational music.  As I go to bed, let's listen to this song and.... yes.... Imagine if we the world could be as one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOgFZfRVaww

During much of the 281st day of 2019 empathy was on my mind.  From some stories in the news, to working with some amazing colleagues at work, to speaking with students and some alumni I realized how impactful a little empathy can be.  I just wish that caring for other people was not as extraordinary as it seems to be these days.  As I head to bed on 10/8/19, I am grateful for empathetic people and I strive to be one more than I am not and will try to inspire others to be and do the same.

After a pretty normal workday, the 280th day of 2019 got good after work ended.  First, I went to the normal Monday evening Board meeting of the Penn Band, but not normal was the fact there was pecan pie there.  And, after eating the pie, and attending the meeting, I reflected on the rehearsal that was starting, filled with music and the laughter of the members of the Band assembling....leaving the building with a smile, I had to rush home and change quickly so Alexa and I could get to her Fall Ball Mustangs Softball game.  And after a convincing win, I was smiling again on the ride home.  Not because the Mustangs won.  Oh that made me happy, but what made me happier (and inspires my gratitude tonight) was listening to Alexa and her friend (with whom she has been playing softball for a dozen years) laughing and listening to music and singing along.  I am grateful for music and mirth, it made me really happy tonight, in multiple settings.

The 279th day of 2019 is a Sunday.  And, on 10/6/19, a lot of traditional things happened in our family.  We started at Church, we watched football, homework was pursued, and laundry was done.  But what inspires my nightly gratitude today is that we had a nice family dinner.  Sarah made a great meal, and we ate it together, and with her brother as well.  I am grateful for family dinners, they truly are special, and I am glad we had one today.

The 278th day of 2019 was a sunny day.  And we all went to Haddonfield to watch Field Hockey on 10/5/19.  And for the last two days, watching sports, today and last night at the football game I have had to wear my SRFS windbreaker.  And, strangely enough, that is the root of today's gratitude.  Because I am grateful tonight for cooler air.  It is such a nice contrast from the heat and humidity earlier this week and another reason why I like Fall and October so much.  Now, I am not looking forward to the freezing cold, but for tonight I will enjoy the cool....

The Penn Quaker Football Team had its home opener at Franklin Field on 10/4/19.  And I had a dual role on the 277th day of 2019.  First, if course, I was with the Penn Band, who had a great turnout and sound tonight.  And, also, it was SRFS Night at Franklin Field and I spent time with my office mates (we got to go to the VIP Tent!) and went out on the field with them to be recognized for the work we do to help the students at Penn.  It was a great ending for a long, kinda tiring week.  So, as I head to bed, hoping I can sleep in a BIT tomorrow, I have gratitude for Football Friday Fun.  GO QUAKERS!

October really is one of my favorite months!  The temperatures are getting cooler (yesterday notwithstanding).  football (NFL and college) is in full swing, and, of course, Halloween awaits us at the end of the month.  But what I like the most about October is that the baseball playoffs occur.  I watched the NLDS today, the exciting finish to the Cards-Braves game and I am going to bed, but have enjoyed the Nats-Dodgets game as well.  My gratitude tonight is for playoff baseball.  Hope to see it back in Philadelphia soon!

At the end of the workday on the 275th day of 2019, I took a short detour on the way to the garage to get my car.  I got word that my friends were having a quick bite (and sips) at The New Deck and I owed one of them some money for a raffle.  So I hustled over there and stayed longer than expected.  But I also ended up, on 10/2/19, driving one of said friends 1/2 way home (it was on my way!).  So I cannot talk much more tonight, I am exhausted, but I have gratitude for good friends and good conversation.

(NOTE: I fell asleep and forgot to post this - this should have been posted 10/1/19: I watched two 4-3 ballgames on the 274th day of 2019.  Well first, on 10/1/19, I watched Collingswood Field Hockey shut out Bordentown 5-0.  Very proud of Alexa and her defensive teammates.  But then we rushed up to Pennsauken for the Mustangs softball game, a 4-3 Mustangs win.  And the firepower was provided by Alexa's Grand Slam in the 1st inning.  Whoo that was close.  We then came home and thought we were going to watch the Brewers put away the Nats in the NL Wildcard Game.  But a broken bat bloop and and base clearing, three run single later and, unfathomably, the Nats were the 4-3 victors.  I love baseball/softball.  In its purest form, you cannot run out the clock.  You have to get all the outs (21, 27, etc) in order to be victorious.  One of the reasons baseball/softball is my favorite sport.  I miss the Phillies already.....