Sweat socks, softball, sports and life

This ornament is the perfect reminder of my Uncle Hank. My dads youngest sibling. 10.5 younger than dad. 12.5 years older than me. Uncle Hank was one of the people who instilled the love of sports in me. I remember thinking he was a little crazy hollering at a TV and the game. Who gets that passionate? Hmmm, yeah friends, that's where I get it. 

He loved sports. Any sport. My oldest son reminds me a lot of him. It didn't matter if it was baseball, softball, football, hockey, soccer or who knows what else. If there was the chance to compete and hang with fellow enthusiasts, he was right there. 

At family reunions, he was the "adult" that made sure all the other adults got out there with is kids for annual Angle reunion softball game. Anytime we were together, he was pitching to us. Talking about improving your stance or loudly vocalizing how we could better field a ball. 

At Christmas, since Uncle Hank was the last kid at home, he came with Grandma and Grandpa if they came to our house on Christmas. This is in addition to our annual pilgrimage to GC. He always had another little extra gift for us. Did he get it did grandma? I will never know. Whoever did the shopping was very attuned to what he meant to me at that age and what my memory of him will always be. Sports. This Christmas sock ornament makes me think of the striped tube socks of the 70's that would be perfect example of the era. 

Remembering my first sports hero, 

From Tulip~

KH

😊