Awards, trophies, medals, certificates, speeches, applause. It's hard to believe how fast your kid's high school years pass by, so as you watch him being praised and honored by the school's principal, athletic director and his coach for the quality of his play, what's going through your mind is that this is the second to last time you'll ever be able to experience a moment like this.
It's an odd example of not living in the moment. Then, you snap back to your senses, and let out a whoop when he walks to the front of the room. There he is, wearing one of your shirts, and his black beanie, his gold earring and his star tattoo -- his own (young) man, a star in his own right.
After all, this is his night, not yours.
You are the observer.
Afterwards you shake his hand and tell him once again how proud you are of him. Something sits out there, in both of your minds, not yet expressed. It is a vision of the one last season to come, the season where he brings home something much more special to both of you than individual honors.
That would be a city championship, the first for his school in over three decades. For that to happen, he will have to have a breakout senior year, becoming even better at what he is already very good at, and also becoming a leader.
This may be more difficult that it sounds. As one of the few native English speakers on his team, and the only white person, he's always chosen to take a quiet role, in the background, on defense.
But there he is, with the rest, the tallest man in the room, smiling just a bit. Will he be up to the task?
Ask me a year from now. Even though I already think I know the answer.
-30-
1 comment:
Yes, I think I know the answer too- after all, this young man has shown himself to go above and beyond many times before. He has played in games even when he was injured- he has really gone the extra mile.
You must be very proud of him! Congrats on all the rewards
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