What's In a Number?

I don't get into much personal, family stuff on my blog but if you've been a reader here for long, you know my family is heavily into sports. Basically we play and we read.  If you are or were an athlete, you understand how numbers can hold power or should I say superstition.  Many young players want to wear the number of a famous professional athlete, but sometimes there is another reason a specific jersey number hold significance.  At our house, it's a family thing.

I have four children and they've all participated in scholastic athletics and two of them continued onto college sports.  When they were elementary and middle school aged, they all admired and loved their older cousin. As a senior in high school, he was being courted by numerous division one colleges for basketball and football.  A terrible accident took his life in the middle of the school year.  Evan was the epitome of kind, humble all around kid.  He was endlessly patient with his younger cousins, attending their games, playing video games and just hanging out with them.  Then he was gone.  Without any discussion with us or each other, each of my children chose to always wear his uniform numbers during their own competitions.  When it came to baseball and for my daughter, softball, they all wore #17.  My three boys have all finished with baseball and this is my daughter's final year at softball.  So number 17 is on the field one last season with the Gourley moniker on top.  It's heart-breaking and bitter sweet, but it means something. 

I signed up for A to Z as soon as the list allowed. Imagine my thrill at being #17.  It means something special to me.  Remembering and missing you, Evan.

What is your A to Z number?  Do you have a favorite number? Do you have a number you have a superstition about?