In the Heat of the Night

It's a hot night in San Francisco, a rarity around here.

Funny thing about hot weather. If you are in a happy mood, say you recently met someone who might prove to be special, and you decide to sit out on the back porch, sip ice tea or something stronger, and look up at the stars -- when that's going on, you love this weather.

But say you're down on your luck, running out of money and friends, feeling alone and isolated, worried about the future, worried about how you can support the ones you love -- that's when this weather is oppressive and unwelcome.

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Then again, life isn't always at the extremes. Sometimes, things are mixed. When that's the case, which is more realistic and common than great happiness or depression, the heat is just heat. We have fans, windows that open, and ice.

Today, my son's team won their third straight game, 2-1, coming from behind. They are undefeated, in first place, and off to their best start ever.

Other parents and I, coated in sunscreen and wearing hats, talked about endings. Our sons are "aging out" of soccer; they are high school juniors who soon will be too old to continue playing at the level they now compete at.

We all will miss it, these games, the excitement, the many big moments, sad and happy. The extremes.

And yes the ordinariness of it all. Just being parents rooting for our kids.

But wouldn't it be special, if just this one last time, if they won a championship?

That thought alone makes this heat bearable for me tonight.

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