Hockey Mom

Chapter 2

"Mom....mom....mom!" Dorothy screams.

"Yes!"

"We're going to be late c'mon."

Aww school the wonders of it. Now that my kids are in high school things have gotten more hectic. I rush downstairs and grab my bag.

"So are we going or not?'

My twins stare at each other and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

Wayne manages to get out,

"Pajamas."

"What?"

Then as I look down at myself I realize I am still wearing my purple nightgown.

"Can you guys take the bus by yourselves?"

"Yes." they say still somewhat laughing.

"Then have a nice day."

I drop my bag and kiss and hug my two kids goodbye.I close the door behind them walk into my kitchen to make some coffee. As the water boils I review what has happened in the past several months.

"Let's see this month is October ah let's start at the beginning."

I still have a habit of talking to myself I used to only say things in my head ,but since I became a mom of two teenagers I have started saying them too. I say this part in my head because a lot has happened.

It all started in January of this year , that's when Dorothy won another elite competition. After the ceremony was over she came up to me and said ,

"Mom I don't want to skate anymore."

I was calm and didn't think much of it then in March she still wanted to quit. I finally asked one night when Mike and Wayne went out to get dinner.

"Dorothy why?"

"Mom, I really don't want to have this conversation."

"Dorothy please, you've been complaining for a three months now about how you want to quit skating, so I'm asking you why?"

She began to cry and said,

"Mom I'm scared."

I sat her down and said,

"Why honey?"

"It's everything the moves, the new competition everything."

"Okay, Okay slow down sweety, why are you worried about the moves."

She takes some deep breathes like Mike and I taught her.

"They're too difficult they... are too intense, I don't know if I have the ability to go that fast and do the jumps I'm supposed to do I'm worried that... that..."

"You'll get hurt?"

"Yes!"

Now Dorthy just broke down I could now see how stressed and worried she has been and inside of me I felt terrible because I had not notice this in my child before. I knelt in front of her and grabbed he hands saying in a firm voice,

"Dorothy, you can do this okay you have great potential and you can do it alright. No matter how hard a move is or how scary you will conquer it and perform it in a way that no skater has done before."

That seemed to encourage and I hadn't heard about quitting until this month and it seems for now that the trouble has subsided again.

Wayne's trouble started a few months ago in August. It was his first game of the season and he got hit and fell. It wasn't a major fall ,but he did get a concussion. I have said to him since the beginning of his hockey life that if he ever got a concussion he was done for the season so for the time being he's been working out with Mike.

Mike was always so supportive of his kids. Always at every game and every competition. I couldn'tcouldn't have asked for a better guy to have raised my kids with. He's been so busy lately though with work and all. Sometimes he doesn't get home till late and leaves again early in the morning. That's my life though, and I love it.

The front door opens and I hear that familiar voice,

"Shirley I'm home!"