For some, their life is curling. Sometimes, curling and life collide. This is one of those times.
My greatest win.
I have gone through my life as a curler. I have played in all kinds of leagues, in all kinds of rinks and clubs from Alberta to Nova Scotia. I have attended many Briers and was in Sochi to witness our double gold wins. I have defended the sport to my friends, who claim it is a game and not a sport! The gall. I love this sport.
I also have had the joy of playing the sport with two of my sons, Jamie and Colin. Curling is one of just a handful of sports where fathers and sons can play together at a competitive level. I was fortunate enough that my two older boys picked up the sport at an early age and together, we were able to compete in both club curling as well as bonspiel play. We won bonspiel events together, and even a club championship one year. Those memories I will always treasure, but no win will ever mean as much as to me as the Oilmen’s Bonspiel in Calgary in March of 2013.
Colin, who was 26 at the time, had flown in from Saskatoon and was staying with his mom and me for the weekend. He likes to win, as do I. As it turns out, we made it to the finals of one of the events. It is always my objective in every spiel to “hear the pipes” no matter what event you are playing in.
After the final game, my wife, Colin and I retreated to our den for a night cap and the post-game analysis. It was then that Colin turned to us and said that he had something he has been wanting to share with us all weekend but hadn’t because he didn’t want to throw me off my game. Now I was worried! What he told us sent us both into joyous tears, and huge hugs all around. Colin told us he was gay and that we were the first ones that he had ever told. We have never been so honoured and thrilled as we were that night. Colin could now live his life, the way that he was meant to.
Would it have thrown me off my game had he told me earlier? Probably, but we will never know. And yes, we did win that night, in more ways than one, the greatest win ever.
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