Hannah's Greatest Gift

This one wins the prize for "Shock and Awe."

Hannah’s dream is to play lacrosse at Northwestern. She may even have more NU-wear than some of the players. I can’t tell you why she picked Northwestern, but she locked on to it a couple of years ago and has never wavered. Maybe it’s the three straight national championships, or the combination of a high powered offense with a stifling defense—a dream team for a Defense Wing, her favorite position by far. Maybe the reputations of coaches Kelly Amonte Hiller and Acacia Walker have something to do with it. She also likes the fact that the pool and lacrosse field both sit side by side on the shore of lake Michigan, since she plans to swim and play lacrosse (and sail in her free time). She says that the great writing program is one of the reasons, and she wants to be an author, but maybe it’s just the fact that Evanston, IL overlooks the greatest city in the world—Chicago. They all seem like great reasons to me.

Whatever her reasons, this gift rendered her speechless. I don’t think she would be embarrassed if I told you that it moved her to tears. She opened a present that was simply labeled “Hannah.” A great friend of the family delivered this to us on Christmas Eve and said, “I think Hannah will like this.” When she opened it, she found a stick bag, a NU lacrosse tshirt, and the sacred purple turf shoes. These shoes are custom made for the team and cannot be bought. Players are expressly forbidden from giving them away.

There was a card that said, "To Hannah," signed “From the Northwestern Lacrosse Team.”

After she gathered herself, her grandfather took this picture.

Don't you love the purple against the carpet?