Ooltewah junior tennis player Sarah Hudson poses for a portrait at the school Wednesday, April 20, 2016, in Ooltewah, Tenn. Hudson’s father passed away two years ago, and she works to honor his memory by playing tennis, which he taught her, and working as an artist.The gold band, a symbol of unending love, dangles from a necklace that Sarah Hudson wears nearly every day. Sometimes during her tennis matches, when a little extra effort is needed, the Ooltewah junior will run her fingers over the band.
Even without her father’s wedding band, there is rarely a moment when he is not in her thoughts.
“I was definitely close to my dad – a daddy’s girl,” Sarah said. “We did everything together. He was an athlete in school and taught me to play tennis. We would stop at Krystal for a chicken biscuit on our way to a big match, and he had the same song he would play in the car.
“He loved to talk and tell stories, and he was just always there for me, always supporting me whatever I did.”
Two years ago, on one of those early-March Saturdays when you can just feel spring hugging the air, the Hudson family – Jon, his wife Ellen and their teenage kids Josh and Sarah – decided to spend the day together. They played tennis, and the kids won and got to choose where the family would eat lunch.