Growing up, Raiders and conversation

This weekend was jam packed with sports, emergencies and some really good impromptu conversations with strangers and friends. Here are the highlights.

Raider football is headed to the state playoffs. Yes, you read that right, and we could not be prouder here in Raider Nation. In a cold, bitter game, the Raiders overcame mistakes and the wind-chill factor to pull off a back-and-forth game that saw them sitting on top of the scoreboard over Kittitas.

We have a pretty young team, if you did not know it, and to see them rebound from some early turnovers was an impressive thing to watch. These kids are still learning the game and still learning their own abilities within it. They prevailed last Friday night and they should hold their heads up proudly. A Raider invasion is coming to the Tacoma Dome, but first we have a little stop in Davenport. We must tame the Gorillas before the big road trip. You are making us proud, Raiders; keep the ship sailing.

Over the weekend, mostly spent in Spokane with Grandma recovering from an emergency surgery, I got to witness something pretty special. Sometimes we think of kids as being spoiled, entitled or sometimes just plain disrespectful in today’s atmosphere. Over the weekend, Terrill proved me wrong.

Terrill is Frank Sieker’s son. He has grown up a lot since you’ve all probably last seen him. He now has a passion for football and classic rock. Side note: he also knows every word of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. But as we entered the hospital Saturday, a man in a wheelchair flagged down Terrill and asked him, “Hey, young man, do you want to make a quick buck?” The man wanted Terrill to wheel him to the emergency room, and Terrill did not hesitate. I went with them for safety reasons, but Terrill did all the work and had a conversation with the elderly man all the way there. When Terrill was done putting the man at the check-in desk, the man pulled a wad of bills from his wallet, much more than a dollar from where I was standing, and handed it to the young boy, who was slightly behind the man. Terrill took the money, started to walk away and paused, counting the cash in his hand. What happened next still brings a mist to my eyes. Terrill returned to the man and gave most of the money back, saying, “I have a feeling you need this more than me.”

The man’s mouth indicated he was awestruck; Terrill then joined me quickly and we left. I gave Terrill a rub on the head as we walked. Terrill looked at me and smiled. Later, when we talked about it, Terrill said he would have done it for free but he just could not take money from someone who obviously really needed it. Frank would be proud.

Sometimes the way God orchestrates things astounds me, but I guess that should not surprise me either. I mean, He is God. We ran into so many people over the weekend, strangers and friends alike, and our conversations were always a treasured time. In the waiting room, in patient rooms, in Perkins and other places, time and time again people opened up, shared and had conversations that truly meant a lot to us. Life changing conversations. I won’t go into the details of them all, but there are many people out there, either seeking information or having a bunch to give.

Like a 90-year-old doctor, wanting to tell us what he discovered about health during his career. Or a daughter trying to support her father during a difficult time, or a daughter-in-law visiting her grandpa-in-law. Conversations mean something.

Sometimes we just need to let our guard down, be bold and share from the heart. Other times we just need to listen to others with something they need to say. I guess what I’m saying is that we need to value each other on a whole new level. Take the time to listen, really listen. I need to do that, too. I’m just saying.