She and I sat on the sidelines watching all our kids compete for decades, playing Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Basketball and LaCrosse, from T-ball everyone is a winner to high school and college sports to semi-professional serious business. There was even a post-college year where both sons played in a men’s b-ball league. Traveling through blizzards, standing through downpours or blazing sun, we got there to watch the highs and lows sports offers its competitors. And, as luck would have it, we caught most games through the years, but last week we were overjoyed to witness our adult son endure 3 days of tough matches as he made his way to the semi-finals in a sport he recently started playing with a bit more intention, tennis.  We witnessed the thrill of the wins to advance, and the last match that ended in a narrow defeat. Admiring athleticism is inspiring, but so is watching the athlete’s internal struggle as their mounting frustration is pushed aside by determination. We yelled all the platitudes, granted all the positive nods, but for the person on the pitch or court or field, it is their mindset that must deliver the motivation to push onward. Exactly like every battle we face off the mat, right? We watched matches over three days, learning what every sports metaphor is aimed at in real life. Ideals like finding hope when its not easy or paying attention to the tiny little joys when those too are rare.

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