Kelli Rocha's Blog » Steel

On His Way

Kelli Rocha — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:23:25 +0000

There is a quote from Confucius that I love… “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” When you do share the vision of beautiful things with someone you love, it is certainly a moment of grace. For me today, that moment was shared with Steel.

Today, we took Steel to the Sacramento Airport to return to school in Oregon. On our trip, it was Steel’s playlist coming from the speakers and to say that the selections were eclectic is an understatement. He played everything from Rap to Neil Diamond including Old School Rock and Roll and Disney songs. (Yes, I said Neil Diamond.) It was WONDERFUL! We (well, mostly Steel and I) sang along with every one. It was almost like listening to a soundtrack of his life. While I tried to take credit for his obvious great taste in music, I realized that they were really more of a description of his personality. He is complex and unique while at the same time full of emotion and wisdom. (More about Steel later.)

One of the songs that he played has really stuck with me since we left. It is from the Disney movie Brother Bear.

It is with full hearts that we send him back to school so far away. Not heavy hearts, full. Full of gratitude for the opportunity, full of hopefulness for his future, and full of love for the young man we will miss. I have no doubt that he is confidently on his way.

Mussels

Kelli Rocha — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 04:00:45 +0000

Steel loves to cook… And since I love to eat we make a good team. I’ve missed his meals since he’s been away at school and really enjoyed the smell of the mussels cooking this evening. The best part is that Steel likes the unusual so when he makes a meal it’s something extraordinary. Leroy bought these beautiful mussels at Costco. We think of Steel every time we see them at the store.

Steel’s Arrival

Kelli Rocha — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 04:00:47 +0000

Things are really picking up steam around here. The schedule is filling up and so is the house. Steel flew in from Oregon today for the Christmas break. I enjoyed the trip to the airport with Leroy to pick him up, but it really made me miss our own trips up to see him. (I’m already looking forward to next season.)

Full Nest

Kelli Rocha — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 04:00:24 +0000

Steel flew in for Oregon, and Sierra returned from Las Vegas. For the first time in more than 3 months, all of the chicks are back in the nest. There is nothing quite like the feeling of waking up in the morning and knowing that the most important people in your world are safe and asleep in their own beds. We take this for granted when they live at home. Now that the kids are off to college… these moments of security are even more meaningful.

The Boxers

Kelli Rocha — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 04:00:51 +0000

This photograph speaks volumes. This is the official team photo for the Pacific University Boxers Football team for the historic 2010 Season. Way cool. That’s my baby boy in the front row, first one on the left. This photograph will be a part of the University’s history archives for the rest of time. We’re so proud to have Steel be a part of it.

Surprise

Kelli Rocha — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 05:00:53 +0000

I’m not very good at keeping surprises and I almost blew this one a few weeks ago. Steel has been anxious to see more family since he’s been away at school and was really looking forward to the Almeidas making the trip to Oregon for today’s game. What he didn’t know was that they brought his grandparents along with them. Their initial flight was delayed so they barely made it to campus before Steel had to leave for the pre-game meal. All of the Almeidas jumped out of the car to greet him, but Vava and Papa waited in the van. After he said his hellos, I told him they had a surprise for him in the van and I slid the door open to reveal John and Doralice. I don’t know how to write about what happened next… other than to say that the whole energy changed. It is as if God flipped the switch and in an instant we were all choked up… unified by the same emotion. We all felt the transfer from joy and happiness to respectful gratitude. In a heartbeat… we were all present in the same grace filled moment.

I have been reminded a lot lately to live in the moment. God exists in the present. It is so easy to be distracted by the past or the future that we miss what is happening to us right now… and it’s really all we have. It is such a powerful experience when it happens that it can be a little frightening. To experience it simultaneously with the people I love the most was almost overwhelming. My mother-in-law said it best. If nothing else good happened the trip, it was worth the effort just to experience that one moment.

What a thrill it was to watch Steel take the field for the first play of the game with the knowledge that he knew we were there to witness. Family is very important to Steel and I can imagine how full his heart was knowing that the people who love him the most were all there.

It rained the entire game… but it didn’t matter. All was right in the world for one afternoon. Rain is different in Oregon. It is not the “bother” that it is here in California. It just… is. The locals don’t even pay attention to the rain… it doesn’t stop anything or change any plans. It really is remarkable. Attitude is everything. At one point I looked up and thought how beautiful it was to see it coming down under the stadium lights. It was as if God was pouring holy water all over us… blessing each one of us with his gift of the present.

Cell Phones

Kelli Rocha — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:00:34 +0000

What did we ever do without cell phones? How did our parents survive? How did they ever have the courage to let us out of their sight, knowing that they might not be able to reach us (or vice versa) in case of an emergency? This sounds like sarcasm, but I am serious. I can’t imagine how difficult that would have been. I depend on my cell for communication with my family… It is my lifeline.

Tonight I got a phone call from Steel to tell me that he was in the hospital. Apparently, he suffered some shortness of breath and chest pain this evening and one of the staff trainers drove him to the emergency room. I spoke with Steel and then the ER attending physician came on the phone and talked to me as well. Steel has a heart condition known as PVC… which basically means he has an extra heart beat sometimes. We’ve been aware this condition for about 18 months… and it doesn’t usually effect him. They doctors did an EKG… took some blood and then sent him home. He’ll see a cardiologist in a couple of days to follow-up.

Thank God for my cell… and Thank God for his. No matter where they are, the people who matter the most to me are only a phone call away, day or night. Fortunately, my kids are very good about getting back to me if they miss a call. We also use text a lot to communicate… out of convenience but also for respect for boundaries. I just don’t know what I’d do without the peace of mind.

Homecoming

Kelli Rocha — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:00:29 +0000

This weekend is Homecoming for Pacific University. Actually, they are acknowledging it as “the return of Homecoming for Pacific University.” Apparently, they didn’t even bother before the return of football. Makes sense to me. Although this weekend is designed for Alumni, they were smart to call it “Parents’ Weekend” as well. (Or in our case, Family Weekend.) We flew in yesterday and caught Steel’s practice, a volleyball game and the Noise Parade through the campus. It has been nice to have a little extra time with Steel. There are a few things that he has to attend as part of the team, but for the most part, he gets to hang with us.

It was a lot of fun to watch him at the volleyball game. He was up to his usual antics, getting the crowd involved with the game. Sierra and I laughed when we realized that he had taught them the CCHS “double clap, spirit fingers” gesture done before each serve. Right on cue, the group he had gathered around him participated in unison. During a break in the action, Steel and his friend JT (from Arizona) used a large piece of duct tape to collect money for Breast Cancer research. They made their way through the crowd and people put money onto the duct tape.

Simulacra

Kelli Rocha — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:00:21 +0000

One of the greatest joys a parent can experience is to have a serious, thought-provoking and enlightening conversation with their child. Parents learn from children constantly even if they don’t realize it. But when those lessons come on a more philosophical level, and you begin to realize that your kid is thinking for themselves instead of just regurgitating information… the experience can be humbling and heart-warming at the same time.

I received this text from Steel today, and at the time of writing this blog I still haven’t read the document, or even know what the word means… but the fact that he does, and that it’s causing him to pause and think is enough for me. We’ve even discussed the concept a bit on Facebook. I think what honors me the most is the fact that he wants my opinion and thinks that I’m smart enough to have one. And to think that it matters to him is overwhelming.

309 Days Later

Kelli Rocha — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 03:00:12 +0000

Today’s photo was actually taken yesterday. (It’s my blog, so I get to make up the rules.) I’m using it today because the moment is just beginning to sink in to my memory. It has been 309 days since Steel played in his last high school football game. When his season ended at that time, we had no idea that he would ever have the opportunity to put on pads again play at the next level. I wrote about that devastating night in my Counted Blessings blog. You can read the post by clicking here. It was a moment of pure sorrow and grief that I shared with my son. It was an experience that I will never forget.

I’ve been thinking about that time a lot today. How things have changed. 309 days ago, we thought football was over for Steel. 309 days ago, we didn’t know where he’d be going to college. If I knew 309 days ago that he’d play college football, I probably wouldn’t have been so sad. I thought it was over… I could not have imagined that a day like yesterday would have happened or how good this would feel. Words cannot express the pure joy and pride I experienced watching my son take the field for the game today. He played quite a bit today. He was on kick return, and I found myself even a little delighted when the other team would score, knowing that Steel would be on the field again soon. (Boy, that’s a confession.) To watch him carry the ball again, and break a tackle and make the second effort to gain 5 yards (just like he did in high school) was the best.

I’ve learned an important lesson. No matter how much sadness there is in my life, the joy and happiness is so much greater, those bad times fade away very quickly. The good always outweighs the bad. It reminds me that whatever my plans are, God’s plan is so much greater than I could ever imagine. If I just trusted a bit more, was a little more patience I could avoid a lot of unnecessary stress. Baby steps.