Mimi and Papa

As the leaves start to turn, the weather cools down, and days grow a little bit shorter, it finally feels like fall has arrived in Massachusetts.  Although I will tell you that late spring into early summer is my favorite season, if I were to really sit down and think about it, fall has a very compelling argument.  Between birthdays and soccer (among other things) some of my best memories have come in the fall.  I am very fortunate to have a job at Milton Academy that allows me to spend a lot of time enjoying the outdoors (which becomes less enjoyable in the winter)!  I have gotten to experience and appreciate the leaves changing and the air becoming crisp and unleashing the unmistakeable scent of fall.  Next to our playground, a fence separates us from several Milton athletics fields, and during the after school hours, several of the kids sit and watch, as Milton's JV boys soccer team practices each day.  As I watch with them, it brings me back to my days in high school, where I would sit through classes, eagerly awaiting practice or games.  Then I start to think about games, and how for the 16-18 games of the season I was doing something that I was really good at, and looked up to as a leader (looking back, I could've done a better job in this avenue).  In risking vanity, I also loved game-day, because it gave me a chance to showcase the skills that I had spent so much time working on.  I always got a little boost and played a little harder as the crowd got bigger.  I have so much to say and so many great memories from my years playing high school soccer, but this particular blog is about two fans who attended (almost) all of my games: my Mimi and Papa.

Mimi and Papa are my grandparents on my mom's side.  For many years of my life, our family (Spoffords) have lived very close, thus I have been fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time with them.  It would be really difficult to find two people as loving as kind as my Mimi and Papa are.  They have lived truly remarkable lives.  There are so many things that I could say and want to say, but I will stick to the effect they have had on my life in particular.

I will go back to soccer, because that is where I began.  For Mimi and Papa, soccer was not even close to their radar.  They had limited familiarity with it, as my Uncle Andy did some coaching, but other than that, it was not something that they had been exposed to much growing up (which makes sense based on the generations that they were born into).  Obviously, soccer played a major role in the development of the Spofford family.  When we moved back to Maine, we all (minus Isaiah) were very active in the Waterville soccer world (between travel teams and high school teams).  Being active and having games nearby, meant that there would be opportunity to local family to come and watch us play.  It was no surprise that shortly after we began to play, Mimi and Papa began to make their way over to watch us play.  They may not have known much about the game, but their constant support drew them across the bridge.  It wasn't long before Papa took a real liking to the game.  He enjoyed the constant back and forth and liquidity with which the game is played.  However, he did not have the greatest understanding of the game.  Naturally, his engineering background kicked in, and he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the game (especially if he was going to come to a lot of games).  He began to find books about the strategies and tactics of soccer, and before long he became quite soccer literate.  For the first few years, they came to games once in a while, but as time went on, they could be spotted in the folding lawn chairs at almost every game.  It was always uplifting for me to see them at games, showing constant support.  I would make sure to call them up the night before my home games to remind them what time the game was, so they could come and watch.  Typically for away games they didn't travel, unless it was in a neighboring town, but I remember seeing them on the sideline of my very last game at Brunswick and being filled with pride to have them as my grandparents.

Their love and family values are very clearly reflected in the proximity with which their children live to them.  Having six children, one would assume that the family moved apart and now lives all over the country.  However, with the Dumonts, that is not the case, with the furthest family on three hours away (and the rest no more than 25 minutes).  The Dumont kids have always visited regularly, keeping their family tight knit and showing the grandchildren true family values.  It is clear when we are all together during the holidays, that the Dumont kids had a great childhood and that they love and respect Mimi and Papa to no end.  The house is filled with warmth, smiles, and hilarious stories from days of the past. 

For me, going to Mimi and Papa's house has always been something that I look forward to with great joy, and that has a lot to do with the people who built it (Mimi and Papa of course).  As a little kid, I was always greeted with warm smiles and hugs, then offered candy (usually a Werther's or Twizzlers) and a soda.  I mean what kind of kid wouldn't love a place filled with candy and soda?!  They really knew the fast track into our hearts.  After that, the kids (whether it was just the boys or cousins as well) would typically disappear into the basement to play indoor soccer or with the toys that they had saved since their children were little.  If we ever needed anything, Mimi and Papa were always around to help.  When we lived in Mississippi, we would come up to Maine in the summers, and Mimi and Papa would graciously offer us their spare bedrooms and be the most wonderful hosts.  When I was sick, Mom and Dad would drop me off at Mimi and Papa's where they would look after me and make sure I was okay.  On teacher's workshop days, Isaiah and I would go in the morning and Mimi made us two minute eggs and toast (which are always delicious).  As I got older, I would go over there to watch soccer games on TV with Papa and help him out with chores around the yard.  Papa had a system for every chore that we did (which always made them a little longer, but made sure that the task was done right).

One of my favorite traditions with Mimi and Papa is our annual Christmas Eve dinner, in which we host them for a wonderful tourtiere pie feast put on by my Mom.  Every year at Christmas time, they come over to our house and eat and open their presents from us, and it's always a wonderful time for us and them.  Usually at some point in the night, we play guitar and sing Christmas carols, and Mimi and Papa's eyes light up as they join in on the songs and sing along.  These are some pictures over the last few years:

When I was in high school, my AP United States History teacher assigned the class a 10 page paper about a topic of our choosing, with the only stipulation being that it had to be related to the history of Maine.  I chose to write about Flagstaff, ME, a town that was flooded in an effort to create a reservoir and now sits at the bottom of Flagstaff Lake.  I thought there would be tons of material about it, (I mean a residents were moved and a town was flooded!) but there turned out to be a lot less than I had expected.  I eventually made contact with a man who was once a resident of Flagstaff, and moved to nearby Stratton.  My Papa used to work on the roads out that way, so me, my mom, Mimi and Papa took the trip out so that I could meet my primary source!  In high school, like today, I am quite shy around new people, so it was a good thing Papa came along.  He and the man talked for at least an hour about all things Maine.  I got SO much information!
I am so thankful to have such wonderful grandparents, who were so active in my upbringing!  They are true models of good family values, hard workers, and always encourage us to do our best.  They have spent years worrying about their own children and grandchildren's well-being and always act in the best interest of their family.  In turn, they are showered by love and devotion from the children, in-laws, and grandchildren.  I have so much more that I could say about Mimi and Papa (and likely will in a later post!)  I will close in saying Thank you to the best Grandparents a kid could have!!

-until next time!