What is true in this life
- yes, we are promised strife...
Witness to - his brief - walk on earth
- to these words - today - lets each give birth
Like lyrics to sing
- to Ralph - my brother
- now running heavens wing
First, Props to His Parents:
Oom Hans much more than a dad
- my first coach
- a life mentor
- mad skills that man had!!!
And Tante Doreen, a loving mother of four
- graciously welcomed my presence
- with each knock at her door
Ralph was more than a brother
- or cousin
- or a teammate playing his role
Practice weekdays
Then Quakes games
on Saturday night
Stopping and scoring
(both girls,
and some goals)
He always had my back in a fight
I introduce Ralph
- to his bride number one
- and Jana gave us Matthew
- their first born son
Soon our lives came unwound
- for no fault
- or known cost
So how sweet to reclaim
- a friendship once lost
- to take up again
- where last we'd left off
Not only TalkNsoccer
- we compared, just - how - tough
- to raise sons' n daughters'
We stopped allowing miles
- to stand in the way
- and amidst trials
TOGETHER we'd face
- all that God threw at us
It is - now - His will
- for us NOT
- to just get by
Remember lessons taught?
Or are you still asking why?
Because character
- isn't forged by strife
Your formed by what's caught
- during challenges in life
So to The Timberwolves and us Lions
- in your pack or our den
- claim victory when
- we compete EVERY TIME
- to honor the memory
of Coach Steinlein
Now let's head back
- and step out on the pitch
Where
- sweat
- spit
- dirt... and tears
- are all in the mix
And send balls heaven bound
... where Ralph roams the sticks
