Remembering “One Point from Oblivion”

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Guest Post by Jim Jackson

At our tennis group luncheon last Tuesday, Frank Rees’s name came up because the subject was about being “quick” on the court—both with hands and feet. We talked about his abilities to be 1 foot from the net for a volley, then race back to hit an overhead. And, of course, his service ball toss. But most of all, that he would never quit. 

Then someone in our group mentioned the event I wrote about demonstrating that.  I had called it “One Point From Oblivion.”

That was 10 years ago. The title is a slight exaggeration, but it was appropriate and meaningful at that moment in time.

In a league match, 2 of the 3 matches had gone on court earlier and had finished. Each team had won a match, so it was a 1 to 1 tie, and our match was the deciding match.

We were down 2-6, 1-5, 15-40, double match point with Frank serving. (We had won only 3 games and none were Frank’s serve.)  When their last winning shot went back to the backstop, I said to Frank, “Let’s make history; let’s have the greatest comeback ever. Just one point at a time, let’s win this match!”  

Frank replied, “Okay, sounds good to me. Guess we better start with these next two points, right?”

And we did win 2-6, 7-5, and 10-7 in the tiebreaker. Only John LaPlante and Ted Jean stayed to watch. All the others had given up on us and accepted a 2 to 1 loss in the match to the other team—but our win made our team the winner.

As I walked behind Frank towards the net to shake hands, I was viewing a Soul who was “walking on water.” I could see that Spirit was flowing full blast through him!

Frank would never quit, never give up. He was always courageous! 

March 2nd of 2025 will be the 3rd year anniversary of Frank’s passing. We all miss him! But I’ll bet he’s cleaning up in all the Astral world heavenly tournaments. Maybe he’s hooking up with my other old partner, Tisdel. That, though, would require some “heavenly negotiations” to see who plays the left court!   

Love to you, Frank,  
Jim

Also please see “A Most Wonderful and Mysterious Gift” on this blog, Jim’s article about Marlo Rees’s contact with her late husband, Frank, via a world-famous medium.

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Jim Jackson enjoys reading, writing, and sharing his experiences with those in his community and friends. He still has an interest in tennis, he says.