Dad, you are so important!

Oh yeah, my dear child! As I see at the age of 7, the street full of trees and the rubber ball that cost 1,5 dollars hitting me and leaving a mark on my skin.

That feeling that you set the boys with the evening football on the street, preparing the football long socks that stopped on the ankle and having only a thread that caught on the soles, bought from the old Crangasi Square and the new smell of the Chinese white sneakers that resisted only until the first shoot because they were dropping their staples, and everything was like the MasterCard commercial, priceless.

Every time the choices where made by the best at football and they were made according to how fat or slim you were, obviously I was also known under the nickname "Splinter", i was chosen among the first because I knew how to control the ball too. The first one was the killer player, which was my surprise at that time because it wasn't me, he almost hit everyone in the tibia whenever he approached someone to kick the ball. Every time the football field was drawn from the chalk thrown from some houses, the 6 m square was made to protect the goalkeeper and of course instead of football bars, I had 2 stones. The football field was made on the street to the edge of the curbs, with a little corner on the sidewalk, it was for us exactly at Lia Manoliu (National Arena) and we all thought we were Hagi, from the goalkeeper to the killer player. The pleasure of shooting the rubber ball and hitting the football stone crossbar, was followed by swearing and screaming because there was certainly no VAR at the time, but only the one who screames the most, was right. Growing up with my brother playing football, was the best part of the childhood and I wanted to be a football player ever since. And now i remember how I was the first time at football tryouts at ICSIM Bucharest and after C.S.S.1 Pajura, all my colleagues laugh because I could not make a single push up. The football matches on the Damaroaia Stadium were memorable when you were lucky enough to rain, it was a fight in the mud, and then you were waiting for the cold water tank to freeze your soul.

My father was after me on every game even if I was full of mud, his desire to make me a footballer was immense and a small child he made me run, making crunches, and pushups I could not do (* but I started doing as one day for one month and then 2 times a day for 1 month, until I've done 30-50 push ups very easy, so you must never give up) and of course shoot at the goal from free kick. I loved the moments when I went with my dad on the football field near my house and practiced the free kicks with a WINNER ball, that was so heavy it was like i was hitting a rock. My dad always told me that I can perfect each skill if I'm willing to work to grow physically and technically.

At the age of 13-14 I had the impression that I knew them all, so I did not listen to what he was saying to me and did not progress at all as a football player. It is incredibly important for a parent to be with you permanently and to support you in times when you are not playing well, having a weaker football game. My father always encouraged me after each game and he told me to have trust in me, to work harder and i will play better. We have to cherish those moments and we must enjoy the time with our parents, because life is extremely short and sometimes we do not realize this. At the age of 17, although I thought he would be with me all my life and he would support me, life wanted something else, my dad died exactly the day I came from the training camp. It was a heart breaking moment and pain that I did not feel never before, when I found out he was no longer among us, still hoping to be a nightmare. I thank my brother and mother because they were with me and we managed to support each other, avoiding a psychic fall or something worse.

I know he guides me now in life, showing me what's right and what's wrong, and my biggest regret is that i never once told my dad "I love you!".

I started writing these lines, thinking about one question:
The question is – if you die today what ideas, what dreams, what abilities, what talents, what gifts, would die with you? ” Les Brown

So do not wait until Monday and start now!