Dear Basketball

Dear Basketball, I gave you my early mornings and tired nights. I gave you

the bruises, the sweat, and the dreams I kept close to my heart.

Every squeak of the court, every shot that arced toward the rim,

taught me something about who I wanted to become. You showed me how to work,

how to hope, and how to rise again when I fell short. Even when my

legs felt heavy, my spirit stayed light because you were there,

waiting for me. You were never just a game— you were the place where I

grew, where I learned to believe.