A Grand Slam Evening of Tennis

Last Tuesday, I experienced something that I never thought possible.  I was within feet of a handful of my favorite people as a young teenager and even today.  My boyfriend scored some tickets to the Milan Smash Hits Tennis Classic hosted by Billie Jean King and Elton John.

To some this might not seem that amazing but to tennis lovers like myself, this was a dream come true.  Not only was I in the presence of the great Billie Jean King (sadly she didn't play) and music legend Elton John (he played and it was hilarious) but Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Martina Navratilova.  It was amazing!

And to top it off my all time favorite tennis player, Steffi Graf was there!  In sixth grade, we had to do a biographical book report, dress up as our person and present to the class.  I chose Steffi Graf.  She is one of the reasons I think I really started to love tennis.  It was awesome to actually see her play.

Oh and Franco Harris was there too!

It was a fundraiser for AIDs.  Pittsburgh was a grand slam for breaking records with money raised.  The evening raised more than a million dollars for the AIDs foundation.

Our seats were right next to the entrance, so at the end all of the players all came through and gave autographs.  Andre and Steffi rushed through but I was able to manage an autograph from Martina, three of the other younger players, Franco and the guy that played Michael Ohr in the Blind Side.

I'm so excited that I had this opportunity!  Shout out to my awesome boyfriend for taking me!  It was a once in a lifetime experience!

I want to be forever young...

Do you ever wonder what happened to the innocence and spontaneity of your 10-year-self? Remember how excited you used to get over the simplest things? We grew up, that's what happened! Today I was thinking about how much I often miss those beautiful days of childhood. Then I think, why not strive to emulate those same childhood characteristics into our adult lives?

No matter how old I am, I will still...anticipate the coming of Christmas with the same joy and enthusiasm as I did as a child; long for summer days at Lakeside all year long, fidget anxiously for three hours to get there, savour the long summer days at the dock and cry when the season ends at Labor Day; enjoy a good cannonball into Lake Erie; love the freedom of going barefoot in warm weather; welcome the good company of a classic childhood story like Anne of Green Gables or Cheaper by the Dozen; and take a test ride on all the swings and slides in the playground. Perhaps these youthful adventures are good for our tired, stressed adult lives...

As we get older, we forget what was important to us as a child and start to become more cynical of the world around us. We need to take a step back in time and relax. I hope I never lose my youthful spirit or dreams. Someday I'm going to cannonball off the dock at Lakeside with my grandchildren and enjoy the moment just as much, or even more than when I was 10. So, make it your daily mantra to stay forever young!