Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/889575
64 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2017 | Pickleball Club We Sun Lakers are spared Melville's "damp, drizzly November" of our souls. There is, after all, the "Sun" in Sun Lakes to remedy that malady. But for our community's picklers, there is more than mere weather to brighten the spirits. That has never been more evident than this soon-passing year. Our members and friends have endured some of the worst that life can throw at us: disease, debility and death. Broken wrists, sciatic nerves run amok, hip replacements and heart attacks. Death of spouses and parents. The gnawing erosions of MS and cancer. And yet, it would be hard to find a more exuberant bunch as gathers on the pickleball courts at every opportunity. These folks have a great time when they play, and they have often had to play through all of the above and more. One of the striking things about hanging out on the courts is the laughter that rises and rolls. More and more women are finding play time in the afternoons as the temps moderate. Always with laughter. Younger families are able to play some evenings after work and school demands are met. Again, laughter is a common denominator. Good old-fashioned banter (no trash talk allowed!) is in full throat. It is obvious to this scribe that our sport is both a tonic and a respite from some of the bitterest of trials. When hospice care for a loved one is consuming most of life, some of our players have been able to steal a few moments to play. Just days after the stents went in, some have been back out to work on the backhand. As soon as the casts came off, hardy players were in the swing again. Yes, the game caused some of these ills. Falls can happen, ligaments tear. But it is clear that we have folks who are determined enough to persevere that they will play anyway. We hear of more falls in parking lots than ever happen on our courts. For most of us, the game is sheer recreation. We don't have to put up with the heartaches and backaches that some members do. But here's to those that battle with the paddle! More than one this year have commented with tears in the eyes how their pickleball "family" has sustained them during great loss. It's a pleasure to hang with this bunch. If you've never tried the game, c'mon out! See you on the courts!