Story of the week 45

It's a sunny day in Malmö in August 2025. My son and I are walking from the car park to the Malmö Arena for the WTT Europe Smash 2025. It's our first time as spectators at a table tennis tournament. Our expectations are a mix of pure excitement — because some of the world's elite players are competing — and disappointment — because it's only the preliminary rounds. These moments with my son are wonderful memories. The older he gets, the rarer they become. It's important to consciously create, cherish, and protect them.

As for the excitement of the day, we were pleasantly surprised. We were on the edge of our seats, discussing our favourites for each match and appreciating the athletes' performances. The most lasting impression was made by a Japanese player named Hashimoto. Her transitions between defence and attack were characterized by composure and sudden bursts of dynamism. And then there was her incredible touch for the ball and her precision. Simply astounding. After that experience, we knew: as soon as such a tournament takes place in Germany, we're going. A weekend with my son, full of table tennis and plenty of time to listen to audiobooks together, talk, and enjoy delicious food.

At the end of August, I'm sitting on the sofa one evening with my laptop. I've taken the time to search for a tournament and found one: the WTT Champions in Frankfurt am Main. The finals are on November 8th and 9th. The train connection from Hamburg is a direct four-hour journey. Tickets booked in advance are cheap. The same applies to a hotel near the sports hall. The slot in my calendar is still free, and I remembered all the positive feelings from the last tournament. Everything is booked immediately.

Today is November 8th. I'm sitting at my laptop, writing this article. The plan was to do this on the ICE train to Frankfurt, maybe with headphones on. An audiobook is playing in the background. I'm really looking forward to watching the first final matches. Instead, I'm sitting at my dining table, without an audiobook, without any anticipation, without my son. He's at the Hamburg Individual Championships, playing in his most important tournament of the year.

When it became clear at the beginning of this week that we had this scheduling conflict, I knew immediately how it would be resolved: My son would stay in Hamburg and play in the tournament. A straightforward decision. However, it took a lot of effort and self-convince to truly accept this and be okay with it. Because what I really wanted was something entirely different: The idea of ​​this weekend together, with all the anticipation and the precise vision of what it would be like, had become too deeply ingrained in my mind.

After a few days, had passed, and I had let go of my idealized vision, I was open to alternative plans for the weekend. So it turns out I'm going to the stadium today for the HSV game against Dortmund. Together with my oldest childhood friend, whom I haven't seen in far too long. That will also be an excellent memory, just entirely different. At the same time, I will look at my mobile phone and follow my son's live ticker from the tournament.