We Knew This Day Was Coming

My heart is not here today.  I have much to do to prepare for the 35 or so coming for Thanksgiving and for a rather large party on the 8th, so my body is in Nashville, but my heart is in Martin.  This is a day I have known was coming for quite some time.  It has been kept quiet so as not to draw attention.  It is a day that for most will seem "so what," but it is very significant in my dear Mr. Lincoln's life.  You see, today is the last day he will stand on a football field as a college football official.  It is the end of an era.  He chose the date, and once it was chosen, there was no going back.  He is leaving officiating on his own terms.

Mr. Lincoln will be emotional.  Those of you who know him best will not be surprised by this.  He is just an old softy.  He is wise, and so he will soak in every bit of this day.  I think he told his crew last night that next year they will have another leader.  Perhaps, they had already caught wind of his retirement, and have waited for him to make it official.  Perhaps, they were surprised.  Whichever, they are going to miss him. 

He has put so much energy and effort into being the best football official that he could be.  He knows those rules forward and backward.  His crew has to be one of the best prepared that ever hit a field.  There was never danger that Mr. Lincoln would embarrass his organization by acting the fool in any shape or form.  One of his fellow officials, who understands the significance of this day, sent him a lovely email yesterday.  He said that Mr. Lincoln had always conducted himself as a "man of God" on the field and off.  What more can anyone say of a person's influence? 

I think of Marshall's last football game in high school, how as he walked off the field, he turned and looked back to soak it all in.  He was etching that moment in his memory.  It was such a poignant moment.  Mr. Lincoln was crying then too.  I know he will follow his son's example this afternoon and turn to look back and etch the moment in his mind. 

My heart is not here.  You may wonder why that is true while my body is in Nashville.  Mr. Lincoln said, "do not show up at the ballgame.  If I look up in the stands and see you, I will lose it."  So, I will be here, cooking and cleaning and decorating and ironing, but my heart won't be in it, for my heart is with Mr. Lincoln today. 

For today, I wish you the ability to mark life's special events, be they sad, happy, frustrating or poignant.  I wish you someone to love, and I wish you

blessings