Shakespeare’s Hamlet is arguably the most often performed play in the canon and the subject of an endless array of scholarly papers. So it’s not surprising that many of its most famous lines are still in use today. A few come to mind: “Brevity is the soul of wit” (Act 2, scene 2);“Neither a borrower or a lender be” (Act 1, Scene 3). But the line that resonates with me is, “The readiness is all,” (Act 5, Scene 2). This less well-known line has become my mantra in recent years.

My granddaughter, Marra’s lacrosse coach reminded me of a moment Shakespeare could not have imagined when he penned his simple, wisdom-filled line. After a particularly hard-won varsity match, Coach Chris recalled Marra’s first-ever lacrosse match; it had taken place on an ungroomed grassy field in the countryside over twelve years ago.

“Marra was a great runner, one of the fastest on the field,” said Chris. “But she was a sensible girl who was a bit fearful of the lacrosse ball, which she knew could be quite dangerous if mishandled. She whispered to me that she didn’t want to go in just yet. So, I told her to stand right next to me and to ‘stay by my side so I’ll be sure to hear you when you tell me you’re ready.’”

He went on to say that Marra watched another game or two from the sidelines. When she finally said, “Coach Chris, I’m ready!” she ran onto the field and played her heart out. Twelve years later my talented, brave granddaughter is a Lacrosse All-Star, one of the top defenders in her Division.

Shakespeare surely wasn’t thinking of a child’s state of readiness when he wrote “The readiness is all.” He was imagining the mind of a king who was facing an unwinnable, deadly sword fight. And Coach Chris wasn’t thinking about Hamlet’s dilemma. He was just listening with a wise and gentle heart to a little girl’s ambivalence. And it made all the difference.