The Memorial Golf Tournament by Sarah Robin Share Your Story contest entry |
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"Ladies and gentlemen. Now on the tee from Eastwood Golf Club in Orlando, Florida is Ellen Paschal". The family applauds wildly, and another Smith-Paschal Memorial Golf Tournament has begun. It is Easter weekend, and we have gathered to play golf, visit and eat!
The colors of North Carolina are magnificent in the spring. The white blossoms on the dogwood trees frame the deep pinks, reds and purples of the azaleas. No matter where we lived in the world, we made our annual trip home at Easter. Papa (my dad, Jack Smith) was an avid golfer. He would organize a mini tour of area golf courses, and we always ended the last day at his sister's house for a bite to eat. My Aunt Henry was the best cook in Stokes County. She must have worked for days getting ready for our visit. She had everybody's favorites. There was beef, ham, barbecue, chicken salad and the most scrumptious homemade bread. I will have to admit that about the time we made the turn onto the back nine, I could smell that bread across the miles and would begin to wonder if she had made the Peter Paul Mounds chocolate cake. Papa would collect the score cards and have an award ceremony after dessert. A new golf ball would go to the winner, and Easter eggs were given for special shots. He made sure that the youngest participants got a prize, and he always gave an award for good sportsmanship. I'm not quite sure if the youngsters learned to play golf because it is a great game or to get on the list for Aunt Henry's dinners and Papa's prizes. Papa, Aunt Henry, and my husband, Charlie Paschal have passed on, and we have continued the tradition of getting our families together every Easter. The family is so large now that we meet at Tanglewood Park to play golf and rent a shelter for the evening meal and awards ceremony. The youngest golfers are always rewarded, and an Easter egg hunt is now included for the pre golf family members. I am now the senior member of this clan. The younger generation will keep our families together by providing this opportunity for them to play golf and enjoy visiting. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Smith-Paschal Memorial Golf Championship winners for every year are All of Us!"
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Sarah Robin
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