Playing sand volleyball with my boys, we all truly got into the moment. Strategizing, working as a team, and above all else diving after the ball.

What struck me the most was the ground. Ha, no seriously, it was my 10-year-old son Ben’s ability to repeatedly on end, dive and dive again. Impact after impact on the sand didn’t phase him in the least.

On the other hand, for me each dive was a calculated risk as to how close my pending mortality awaits.

Alas, the greatest challenge for me in volleyball seemed to be the forces of nature, because gravity really had it out for me.