13 November 2017

Watching Them Go Through It: Sometimes They Sit the Bench

Dear Kid,

I watched you sit on the bench this weekend.   You were across the court.   My first feelings were of indignation.   I worried that you would be hurt.  I wondered if you knew what was going on.  I saw you look to your coach and wait for the moment you would get called in.

I knew you were tough.  I knew you were an important part of the team.

I was a little bit mad for you .

And then, my child, I thought about How Much you can give.   I saw you high-five your teammate and smile for the team.  I heard you cheer and the mom next to me pointed out how you jumped up and down with joy.  

I realized your work ethic and your amazing selflessness could get through this trial.  Maybe you will kill it at practice this week, and maybe you will show your coach the killer attitude that always accompanies your defense face.   Maybe you will put your mind to working really hard to nail those shots with consistency.  Both of those things, and so much more, are within your potential.

But, Kid, even if none of those come to fruition, you truly can be amazing and a leader on the bench.   Your attitude can lift up your team and be as much a factor for a win as your time on the court.

Remember when we were in the play?   We weren’t the stars, but we saw them backstage.   Sometimes they were nervous and they weren’t sure they were doing it all right.  
But we smiled at them, we reminded them of how they moved us with their voices and jokes.   We cheered them on.

We helped everyone to win.

So, Kid, I hope you learn this season and I hope I get to watch that defense face for many, many minutes of game time.  But if not, let’s go for the bigger win.  You show that team the best of yourself.   The best of how God made you---to help pick others up, sometimes literally on the court.

You are so awesome.   I am so proud of you.


Your, Mom

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