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Why Are You Even Here?

A few Saturdays back I forgot the boys' soccer balls. We keep them in the shed outside and we just took off for soccer without them. I realized it about halfway there and the boys were evenly split between "Go back!" and "Keep going!". I kept going. That was foolish. 

When we got there I told the coach we forgot our soccer balls and he did that face that says, "Then why are you even here?" in the most polite Japanese way of course.

I left the boys at soccer and raced home, grabbed the balls out of the shed, and high-tailed it back. It's 5 kilometers one way, and it's Saturday morning, and it's suburban Sendai. And I am not used to just leaving the boys, except for kindergarten. I don't even know if it's technically okay to leave them there without a parent. It was a journey of emotion and mad summer sweat.

Today we didn't forget the soccer balls. We don't any more. Soccer Saturday means remembering four important things: 1) water bottles, 2) sweat towels, 3) attendance sticker books, and 4) the balls.

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