Last Thursday we held our annual bocce awards ceremony.
Certainly, you could say it was a waste of our time.
Certainly, you could say we looked silly, in our matching red jackets,
with our toasts,
with our claps on the back.
Certainly, we were a little silly.
Silly indeed, our bocce awards ceremony is important to me,
maybe even sacred.
Once a year, we gather these people together to say, “Hey! You tried your best and I noticed!”
I was lucky to have that happen a lot for me as a kid.
Through music, sports and art,
people created time and space to let me know that my effort did not pass by unnoticed.
That happens nigh never as a grown up.
And it could happen more.
So Tom, he won the Ringer award, the yearly award we give out for best play.
Everyone else received a collaged medallion that hung around their neck.
The medallion had one word on it that represented the team member’s contribution to the team.
Words like,
“Buoyant”
“Scandalous”
“Rock-Steady”
(Okay, that’s two words, but you get the point.)
Is there a group of grown ups in your life that are working hard with no recognition?
Might I suggest a pizza party with some certificates or cardboard medallions?
It bounced me into this week with a smile and an appreciation of friendship.
