They say it's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
That thought wouldn't be very comforting to Mike Sanders. He had just been dumped by his girlfriend. Of course, she didn't put it quite that way. She said, "I do care about you, Mike, and I hope we can still be friends." Great, Mike thought. Still be friends. You, me and your new boyfriend will go to the movies together.
Mike and Angie had been going together since they were freshman. But over the summer, she had met someone else. Now as he entered his senior year, Mike was alone. For three years they had shared the same friends and favorite hang-outs. The thought of returning to those surroundings without Angie made him feel--well, empty.
Football practice usually helped him take his mind off his troubles. Coaches have a way of running you until you are so tired, you can't really think of anything else. But lately, Mike's heart just wasn't in it. One day it caught up with him. he dropped passes he wouldn't normally miss and let himself get tackled by guys who had never been able to touch him before.
Mike knew better than to have the coach yell at him more than once, so he tried a little harder and made it through the rest of practice. As he was running off the field, he was told to report to the coach's office. "Girl, family or school: Which one is bothering you, son?" asked his coach.
"Girl," Mike responded. "How did you guess?"
"Sanders, I've been coaching football since before you were born, and every time I've seen an all-star play like a J.V. rookie, it's been because of one of those three."
Mike nodded. "Sorry, sir. It won't happen again."
His coach patted him on the shoulder. "This is a big year for you, Mike. There's no reason why you shouldn't get a full ride to the school of your choice. Just remember to focus on what's really important. The other things will take care of themselves."
Mike knew this coach was right. He should just let Angie go and move on with his life. But he still felt hurt, even betrayed. "It just makes me so mad, Coach. I trusted in her. I opened myself up to her. I gave her all I had, and what did it get me?"
His coach pulled ou some paper and a pen from his desk drawer. "That's a really good question. What did it get you?" He handed Mike the pen and paper and said, "I want you to think about the time you spent with this girl, and list as many experiences, good and bad , that you can remember. Then I want you to write down the things that you learned from each other. I'll be back in an hour." With that, the coach left Mike by himself.
Mike slumped in his chair as memories of Angie flooded hishead. He recalled when he had first worked up the nerve to ask her out, and how happy he had been when she said yes. Had it not been for Angie's encouragement, mike wouldn't have tried out for the football team.
Then he thought of the fights that they had. Though he couldn't remember all the reasons for fighting, he remembered the sense of accomplishment he got from working through their problems. he had learned to communicate and compromise. He remembered making up after the fights, too. That was always the best part.
Mike remembered all the times she made him feel strong and needed and special. He filled the paper with their history, holidays, trips with each other's family, school dances and quiet picnics together. Line by line, he wrote of the experience they shared, and he realized how she had helped shape his life. he would have become a different person without her.
When the Coach returned, Mike was gone. He had left a note on the desk that simply read:
Coach,Thanks for the lesson. I guess it's true what they say about having loved and lost, after all. See you at practice.