“It’s easy to focus on all the negativity and ugliness in our world…and trust me, I’ve written lots of those poems. Last year, I almost lost my husband to a series of heart attacks. Since then, I make a conscious decision to find a way to lean into joy and document what is good in my life.
— Shawn Aveningo-Sanders”
A Day in the Life of a Soccer Mom
~ for Ashley & Nicole
I believe in mini-vans full of eleven-year-old
ponytailed girls—all of them dreaming
of being the next Mia Hamm. I believe in
mud-mucked shin guards and stinky goalie gloves,
the held breath for a ricocheted-ball-into-net
that wins the game. I believe in slicing oranges
for baggies full of halftime pick-me-ups
and cheering for everyone’s daughter—
regardless of her parents’ politics. I believe
the best way to quiet a dad yelling at a referee
is to simply hand him a Tootsie Roll Pop
and smile. I believe in the good-game, good-game
line of handshakes and going out for ice-cream
sundaes, win or lose. Watching my daughters play?
I believe that was the cherry on top.