Now and Later

There’s no rhyme or reason to it.

It either is, or it isn’t.

But, isn’t that the way of all things?

What other options are there? Something either is…or it isn’t.

You can't force it.

It's the age old adage of the "square peg and the round hole".

It’s just that simple.

Right?

Now, the one exception to the rule, because all things have an exception, is our perception of what’s good or acceptable, in that particular moment.

 That’s quite a gray area, now isn’t it?

What may be acceptable tends to fluctuate.

As we grow older, we, hopefully, grow wiser.

In our 20's we think we are wordly and educated.  We are on fire about so many things, and we set out to take the world by storm.  Truthfully, we are just smart enough to cause a minor train wreck.

By the time we are in our 30's, we can choose our battles a little better, but still tend to trip over our feet from time to time, which is to be expected.  We're just smart enough to really screw things up, but also fairly well equipped to fix it. 

Our 40's are the time we sit back and realize that our parents, and grandparents, really did have alot more things figured out than we gave them credit for.  Suddenly, the light bulb over heads come on with near full intensity.  As the shadows of ill informed youth begin to leave our minds, we realize there truly is no need to sweat the petty stuff we've stressed over all this time.   Chances are if we do demolish something at this age, we don't want to fix it.  We annihilated it on purpose...just saying.

We realize that it's ok to say No...and to MEAN IT. 

We realize that doing things for ourselves isn't "selfish".  It's self preserving and self nurturing. 

Don't get it?

You're too young to understand.  I'll tell you when you're older.

Atta boy!

There have been many times that I've been proud of each of my kids.  Last night, The Linebacker outdid himself and I'm so very proud of the person he's becoming.

He played two football games last night, and even though he was hot, tired and sore, he gave his all.  For every minute, of every game, he played with everything he had.  Not only did he demonstrate good sportsmanship, he demonstrated a helluva lot of heart!

He played for the 7th grade team, which is short a couple players now due to injuries.  He started out playing defense for them, but about halfway into the game an offensive player got hurt so he took that position too.  By the time that game was over, The Linebacker had already racked up a lot of field time, but he headed off to meet his team mates on the 8th grade team. 

The 8th graders were on fire and shut the other team out, 28-0.  They played HARD through all  four quarters.

By the end of the night, Wyatt had racked up 3 really nice tackles and some assists. For no bigger than he is, that kid can hit like a freight train. 

Am I proud of his performance last night?  Of course, I am!  I'm crazy proud of how he played.  But what I'm most proud of is the attitude he showed.  He gave everything he had for both teams.  He didn't look at playing for the younger team as an inconvenience or act as if  it wasn't "his" team so it didn't matter.  He put the good of the teams ahead of himself, and I couldn't be more proud of that. 

He's not the star of the team, he's not the least talented player, but he's a good solid player that tries hard and is dependable.  That's a good place to be, if you ask me.

If he hadn't made one single play, I wouldn't be any less proud of him than I am right now.  He was a true team player, and put a large number of others ahead of himself.  I'm so thankful for that.

It's nice to know that in this world of instant gratification and downright selfishness, there's at least one young person who understands what it is to gain by giving.  That person is my kid.

Yeah, that's my boy!

The Linebacker Dance?

I was finally importing the pictures I took of The Linebacker's first football game of the season, and this video made me laugh.  I forgot about even catching it, but it's makes my heart smile because it's just so....him!  The kid just cracks me up every time I'm around him. 

And yes, that's me wondering why I was taking a video in the first place! Apparently, I fumbled around and hit the wrong button...hey, it happens. A lot.  But, I'm glad it did, because it makes me laugh every time I see it.

I also learned a couple of days ago that the coaches asked him to help fill in on the offense for the 7th grade team, as well as playing his defense position on his 8th grade team.  Apparently, the 7th graders had just enough boys to form a team, but not enough for any of them to get a break during the game, so he and a couple other boys were asked to help out.

When I asked one of the coaches about it, he said that The Linebacker demonstrated good sportsmanship and a good attitude, so they felt like not only would he play hard for the younger team, but he would set a good example for them too.

I was beyond proud of him, and so touched by the compliments. 

That same day, one of the teachers asked The Linebacker and another boy if they would volunteer to help the Kindergarten kids.  They will basically help them get used to the school, assist them with homework, and generally just be their "Big Brother" for whatever help they need.

It makes me feel so good that they are acknowledging what a kind, giving soul he is.  To me, it's a good testament to his good nature and loving attitude, and I'm very proud of him.

I hope that no matter what he does in life, where he goes, or who he becomes, that he always remains such a good person.   I hope he always remembers that family is important and being true to yourself is a must.  I pray he continues to stand up for what he believes in and protects the underdog.

I hope he learns valuable lessons from the mistakes he's seen others make, and doesn't repeat the folly. 

I hope he's always him.