A New Perspective

What a fun two weeks we've had.  I have been meaning to write sooner, but have not had time to put those thoughts into words.

Just to catch up...Phil made a wise decision to not play singles in the category ll national here in Naples.  His right and left knee were sore and stiff from the previous weeks of singles.  He and his doubles partner for this tournament, Dave Sievertson, would have a tough battle in all their matches,so sticking to just doubles was a good call.  I missed their first match, in which Phil says he didn't play very well.  I do know they were down 5-1 in the first set, and were able to fight back to win the set, then take the second set easily.  I was able to watch the rest of his matches and I was so impressed with his play.  His confidence and quality of play grew with each match.  By the finals, he and Dave, were just awesome. The points were unbelievable, and any doubts Phil may have had about his playing abilities should have been squashed. Not only did they win the tournament, there were 25-30 Tarpon Cove members watching and supporting Phil.  What a great tribute to Phil.

A week later we were off to Chicago for Phil's Hall of Fame induction.  It's tough for us to leave work this time of year, but fortunately we have the best work staff.  It makes it easier for me in particular, to take a few days off.  Dave and Mary are great, and they keep us on track everyday.

I have never been to Chicago, and my goodness, I had just loved being there.  I was so impressed with the overall feel of the downtown area we were in.  Of course, nothing topped the real reason we were there. Phil's sister, brother, nephew, and son were all there to share the induction with us. What a great tribute to Phil. As a family we were able to catch up on family news, rehash family stories and enjoy being together.  The uncertainty of the weather in Chicago for this time of year was a big worry.  However, we hit it just right.  Don't get me wrong.  It was still colder than we're used to, but no snow and it was pretty much a none factor.  Luckily everything we did was in the hotel.

Watching Phil at the induction was just amazing.  The admiration I have for him just fills me with pride.  He did so good with his induction speech.  The whole process reinforced why he is so deserving of this great honor.  Phil was one of five inductees, and they all had impressive resumes.  It was fun to hear all their stories that led them to this point.

My love and admiration grows for Phil daily.  We live together, we work together and we play together.  Watching him on that stage giving his acceptance speech gave me a renewed perspective of the person he his. He is the most genuine person I have ever met. He is humble and forever grateful for the life he has been given.

I especially liked the part where he said he was the second best tennis player in his own house.