The Sisters…..Williams

            It  seems a mere short moment ago they were playing tennis, both teenagers. Hairlocked braided with colorful beads in adornment. Venus and Serena Williams, beautiful, lithe, fluid grace in motion. One was tall and so fast it seemed she was everywhere on the court before the ball got there while seemingly quietly competitive and politely crunching the ball with each stroke. The other, nostrils flaring, fiercely smashing that tennis ball with each swing as if she wanted to reduce it to powder. Shorter and more muscular she bellowed on each swing like a martial artist’s blow. Both were a joy and wonder to see and victorious to monotony.

Loving tennis as I do, the joy was personal all the time. I am sure other fans had their reasons to be interested beyond the ordinary too. They certainly were colorful.They were magnetic on and off the court. Their “Dad”, Richard, was with them always and knew them better than they knew self. He brought them to the top, unconventionally and against all odds..

That was then. Time does take it’s place and toll on everything, especially all life. Some “things” live longer than others. Trees and reptiles seem to approach  mortality denial but humans are mortal and the sisters Williams are very human.

I have seen in my time many “humans”. The sports celebrities seem to be most known. Entertainers, film stars certainly seem to reach worldly recognition but sports figures take on super human images almost god-like , if you can  relate to a”God”.

They, the sisters, took time from their peak tennis years to pursue other personal dreams. We missed them right away. We needed them in our tennis dreams like no other recently. They were so good.

Now, as always, time waits for no one. The ladies came back but it was a different day and the struggles to be fit and consistent presented new obstacles. Venus withdrew from the US open today after having serial setbacks with  fewer triumphs. Serena battles on but the domination of yesterday is not  totally apparent yet and if it does it will be short lived. Time will not permit it .

I, for one ,will miss them with every tennis match. We won’t see the likes of either again or least  for a long time. I will remember the joys and excitement they generated  and be forever thankful to have witnessed such beauty, grace, and power in a fellow human being..always..