This is what we have hoped for…

Sunday I met a guy at Harris Teeter grocery store. He and I had a pleasant conversation while he checked me out, about school (he\’s a senior at Great Bridge HS) , about how excited he is to be going to Christopher Newport University for college next fall, and of course, the weather. I asked him about sports and what he does in high school…just \”chatting it up\”.

He told me that the only thing that is bothering him about going to CNU is that he has not received any scholarships yet, so of course I mentioned that we have a scholarship at GBHS and that he should apply. \”Do you mean the Paul Harris Scholarship?\”, he asked. I immediately thought that this is what we have been hoping!! This young man didn\’t know Paul, but he knows about the scholarship and that Paul died and his family and the community give these scholarships in his memory!! He immediately thought of Paul\’s scholarship! It was the first time I ever experienced anything like this. This young man\’s family has only lived here a few years and he isn\’t a part of the soccer community, but still…he knows.

These things don\’t take the pain away, but they give me hope that we are indeed honoring Paul\’s memory by helping kids go to college and keeping his memory alive. I also thought as I was standing there how much I miss my son and how I long to know who he would have become and where he would have finished college.

It is the \”what could have beens\” that are the hardest, but honoring Paul and helping others…well, that takes some of the sting away and gives us hope!

Cindy