Riddle Riddle Ree...I see something you don't see....

And you can't see this, because I don't have a picture or an image.  I just have the words that will describe the evening.

It was David versus Goliath.   My 13 year old son's football team was playing a team a class a head of them. The game was scheduled with different classes because the teams needed to play someone.  We came into the evening knowing that we were going to lose.  That this team was twice our size.  They were from the "rich" part of town.  We are the team from working class families.  We don't have all the luxuries, but we have something no one was counting on...faith in each other.

The game started off with the opponent's team scoring within a few minutes and making our defensive line look like they were just standing there.  The parents looked at each other and hope that we would just be able to stay within a reasonable score.  We hoped our boys would hold their heads high and know that they were playing Goliath.

Then we scored...WHAT!?!!!!  WE SCORED!!!  Awesome!  Okay, we are proud that our boys are holding their own against this team.

I watched as my son who is 5'6" 120 lbs soaking wet was blocking a 175 lb 6'0'' tall kid.  How was he blocking this kid?  Determination?  Or, as he would tell me later..."I was just doing my job.  My job was to block to make sure that kid did not get our runner or quarterback."

Okay, they scored again and made the extra point.  The Goliath team had the lead.  Still proud of our boys.

What?!  Your kidding we scored again!  We got the extra point!  We were tied 16 to 16....Half Time.  So proud that our boys were playing hard and being strong.  Playing as a team.

Half time was over and we got the ball.  Could we?  What did we do?  OMG!  We scored we took the lead!   Extra points...no, we didn't get them.  But we had the lead!  22 to 16!  We have the lead against the Goliath.  But we have 3rd and 4th quarter to go.

The rain started again.  The clouds were hanging low and the sun had sat.  The football field lights lit the evening sky and the announcer voice was now echoing from the near by houses.  The cheerleaders could be heard easily now as the evening began to settle in.  The cool crisp fall air made everyone now remember that it was football weather and we were here to cheer on our teams.

Fourth quarter....2 minutes left to go...Goliath had the ball on their 5 yard line.  1st down..we stop them!  2nd down...we stop them!!! Third down, our defensive line jumped, they moved the ball to the 2nd yard line.  It was inevitable we would be watching our boys lose this struggle soon.  3rd down...we stop them.  4th down they moved the ball...was it enough for the 1st down?  Game stopped as the officials measure.  Silence...as in slow motion the officials moved the chains to measure.  The first marker is set down.  The second stick is set down.  The football, the chain the measure....SHORT!!! SHORT!!!!

We got the ball back...we got the ball back 48 seconds.  We are in their end zone, if we get tackle they get a safety.  If we fumble, oh no...please don't fumble.  The boys line up.  The Goliath lumbers over them. Please I pray...don't jump the line...don't fumble the ball.  First play our centers falls on the ball...run the clock out, run the clock out.  The second play...the center falls on the ball...20 seconds left.  Take the safety, we still will win.  The whistle, the snap the center runs the ball forward.  The push, the tackle the clock runs out.  We win!  We won!  We won against Goliath....David beat Goliath.

And as we end ever game...the boys huddled, they high five and the congratulated each other.  Then, "Norte Dame Saints"  the coach said...."Mother Mary"  the captain said...."Pray for Us" the team said.

As we walked out to the car I ask my son, do you realize why you won?  He looked at me without a response.  I told him because you played as a team.  Each of you did your job.  Each of you had faith in each other.  Each of you celebrate the successes and help each other when there were faults.  You rose each other up, and made sure that your weakness point became your strongest length.

Riddle Riddle Ree....what do you see?

Riddle Riddle Ree...I see something you don't see....

Silo for grain storage, but it made me remember how on the farm you had to depend on one another to get a job done.  That helping each other was a normal standard and you didn't even have to ask for help from others.

Then I remembered this story....

While waiting for my son to take his permit test, I observed a man in his late twenties come out of the permit room beaming from ear to ear. He saw the reaction that one of the ladies in the hallway was having to his joy and he stopped. He said “I haven’t told anyone about me taking this test, or the reason why it is important.” He began to tell her that he had a troubled life. That through his own fault and his bad decisions he had not been able to get his driver’s permit. But his life was changing. He said he prayed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that God would give him the courage, the strengthen to be able to take and pass the test. He felt as if this was the next step in making the RIGHT choices in his life for him to be a better person. As he finished the story, still smiling, he said “So, you see the reason I am so happy is that I know my prayer was answered and God knows I am a good person now.”

About 15 minutes later, I noticed him still sitting in the waiting area. I could overhear him saying to his friend on the phone, “I just need $12 dollars, I didn’t know it cost anything.” Then he hung up the phone. He placed another call and another call asking those he called for $12. Still no success, then another lady standing in line who also was over hearing the phone call and seeing him starting to look overwhelmed walked over and handed him $12. He looked up at her and was stunned. She told him that God knew he was good. He said I can’t repay you, and she replied you already have. She smiled, gave him a hug and told him to those that do good, good will always come to them. He then smiled that beaming smile and went back in line, paid the cashier and got his picture made. The amazing thing is that God put two strangers together for a brief moment in time, and each gave each other a gift that has forever made a difference in their lives. You could truly feel God’s love between them.

Riddle Riddle Ree...what do you see?

Riddle Riddle Ree I see something you don't see....

The peace and serenity of the sunset.  It is that moment that you realize that the day is about to come to a close.  The moment that provides reflection on what was good with the day, and what were my failures.  The sunset is a time to remind ourselves that God is providing us another chance.  A chance to change and grow.   

Riddle Riddle Ree...what do you see?

Riddle Riddle Ree...what do I see?

Determination and risk from accepting a challenge.  The perfect night on the beach at an oyster bar and my husband and I were enjoying the local and inexpensive oysters.  The kids started making comments about how gross the oysters looked and about how could we find so much pleasure in something that was so ugly.  We challenged each of them to take an oyster and try to get past the texture and enjoy the flavor. The challenge then became an event.  Each of the four boys took an oyster.  They began to study the oyster they selected. They were fascinated by the rough exterior shell, the sand and grit that could be still found in a few of the oysters.  They were surprised that some of the interior shells had unique colors.  And quite honestly they were repulsed by the oyster slimy texture. Well, Alec's face summed up the experience when the tasting portion began which was followed by, "That was the most disgusting thing I have every eaten."  The laughter that occurred was worth the entire experience.  The best moments in life may be challenging but through determination and accepting the risk you can find a moment that will bring joy, laughter and memories.

Riddle Riddle Ree...what do you see?

Riddle Riddle Ree...I see something you don't see...

The height of the tree which reminds me how small I am in this world.  Even though I am small to the world, I am a big part of my family and friend's life.

Riddle Riddle Ree...What do you see?

Riddle, Riddle Ree..I see something you don't see. ..

The  lights danced on the table, the glasses, the bottle and even in the wine.

Riddle Riddle Ree...What do you see?

Riddle Riddle Ree...what do I see?

Riddle Riddle Ree...I see something you don't see...and the color is red?   For hours as kids,  my older brother and I would entertain ourselves with the Riddle Riddle Ree game.  At the time it was just entertainment, but now I realize that it was giving me an insight into the way my brother was seeing the world. Trying to guess what he saw, what caught his eye.  But it wasn't until my younger brother was born that that I then realized how important it was to see the world through other's eyes.  My younger brother was born premature and is legally blind.  I often wonder what is he not seeing.  Does he know how vivid colors are?  Does he know that there are fine details?  But then how often do I see the colors or the details?  How often do I appreciate the joy of just enjoying the simplicity in the world.

This blog is a peek into my world and what I see during my day.  It has been a long journey that I have been and still am on. But my eyes have been open to see the world in a different light and a different view.  I hope that you find enjoyment and reflection in the photos.  My photos are not professional.  And for the most part my photos are taken with the camera on my Galaxy phone.  I am just trying to look at the ordinary objects in my life in a different view to find those details that give me a moment to reflect.

So please, enjoy the photos and the stories that will follow.

Riddle Riddle Ree...I see something you don't see... and the color is ...you have to wait and see.

Riddle Riddle Ree...I see something you don't see...
The little flowers in the middle of the larger flower.

Riddle Riddle Ree...What do you see?

Riddle Riddle Ree...I see something you don't see ...
It was the one petal that is bend backwards.  It was such a perfect flower.  The color was beautiful, the nectar glisten in the sunlight and the stem was perfectly straight.  But the one little petal.  The one little part in your life, that seems not to be perfect.  But it is that one little detail that makes you unique.

Take the day and find those details that you are overlooking in your life...it makes a difference.

Riddle Riddle Ree...What do you see?