I'd like to report that it was a huge success given how excited he was going into the day, but it was, in reality, quite so-so for our aspiring slugger. The first ego-hit came when he saw that he'd be one of just two kids to start the game on the bench. The disappointment continued as he struck out during both of his at-bats. And feelings of frustration arose in me when I realized that certain kids were getting the bulk of the playing time. It just wasn't an awesome experience for either of us.
I thought about that game later in the day. Even though my heart hurt for my sweet boy, I'm thankful that I was in the position to offer him some comfort amid the disappointment. I'm grateful that I was able to give him a hug and tell him that I know he'll do better next time, and assure him that I just know he'll get better as he continues to practice.
I don't know how much my input actually helped; I'm sure the time he spent at the park shagging fly balls with Adam and Brady this afternoon did more to boost his confidence that my feeble words. But I'm thankful that I got to try, because it's a gift to bring comfort to someone else.
No comments:
Post a Comment