Reach for it, Laurel!

That will forever be the phrase I hear my grandpa say after today.

REACH FOR IT.

He was trying to give me a helpful hint about hitting the golf ball, instead of the air (I did A LOT of that today), but as I was driving home after one of the most memorable days of my life, I kept hearing him say "reach for it" over and over in my mind and it had its own meaning.

But, first...

Okay, so Melissa & Alee (2 of my cousins) and I have been talking about going golfing with Grandpa for more than 2 years. Today, May 12, was finally the day. Nevermind the fact that it was 40 degrees and overcast and started to hail on hole 8 (we were only doing 9 holes, though), we were all determined to do it...especially Grandpa, who outlasted all of us.

I learned I am no golfer. Clearly the love of the game Grandpa has (and my dad pretends to have) did not get passed down into my DNA. As pathetic a miniature golfer as I am, I'm even worse at the regular version (though I did learn to appreciate a good wood iron!)

But, what a day. I would do it again, just to feel what I felt today. (Thanks to my 2 wonderful cousins for making it so great too!)
To help you appreciate the experience just a bit, here are some things you would have heard Grandpa say, had you been on the course with us today (and these are all direct quotes!):
- There are only 2 rules of golf: Keep your eye on the ball and keep your damn eye on the ball! (I still have to laugh that he said that. He claims he was quoting a pro golfer...)
- Reach for it! (more later)
- I haven't golfed in less than 55 degrees in 50 years
- Ten is the max (said only to me once I reached 10 attempts on one of the holes. I seriously stink at this game!)
- Look out for the stream! (said to Melissa or Alee, but said by all of us to Grandpa when he almost drove INTO the stream)
- I'm 96 and a half! (funny that you say that when you are a kid...I guess the "half" becomes equally important in your 90's too!)
- If you're going to flub, flub it straight
- Walk my speed, girls. Don't leave me behind.

I have not laughed that hard or enjoyed myself that much...on a "work day", no less...for a long time. At the end of the nine holes, we were all cold and a little tuckered. I made the mistake of admitting this out loud. Grandpa replied, "well, of course you're tired. You took a lot of swings! You definitely got your monies worth!" My Grandpa thinks he's so funny.
So, back to "reach for it"...
I needed today for lots of reasons.
I needed the connection with my cousins.
(though I didn't need the yummy lunch at Doughboyzz but it's our new favorite place.)
I needed the once-in-a-lifetime memory with my Grandpa.
And I needed the "fresh start" of a Monday and the gentle invitation to do a little better...to work a little harder...even when something seems a bit out of reach.

Of all the things, Grandpa could have said over and over again, that's the thing I needed to hear the most.
I'm going to reach for it.
I am.