They’re all already, winners, because of the attitude they’d carried, and that, is what’s most important, not the trophies, translated…
There’s not a single sound upstairs, I’d gone up to check, my son fell asleep, with that stench from sweating all over his body I culdn’t stand how he’d fallen asleep so uncleaned, I’d waken him up, despite knowing how fatigued he was. He was sleepy eyed, and mumbled repeatedly, “My classmates were really upset after the relay.”
This was his very first sports event as a middle school student, being the last leg, he’d done his best, to push through, trying, to catch up, and make up for the losses of his former runners, that was the very first time I’d ever saw him so fierce, as he run with all of his might.
like this???
photo found online
Not exaggerating it, it was, the very first time I’d seen him like this!
In his six years of elementary school, working as a teacher in his school, I’d always, focused on my own class, the kids who’d called out to me, “Teacher, teacher, teacher”, I too, am running that race. At most, after the races, I’d stay far off, watching my son, but I’d not, caught a glimpse of him one bit. In this year’s event, I’d even, rooted for the wrong team, and, my students corrected me, “teacher, your son is th one in blue, with a FIVE on his back, NOT the red one!”
So, as I saw how focused my son’s face looked, and I’d, felt more than moved by him, even though he’d lost, I was still, very proud of him.
This reminded me of the students of the last year, in the third grade, as long as I’d been teaching their class, they’d not, won anything. Being disappointed, they’d left school early, and, the parents told me they’d cried, all the way home, there were those students who’d, cried themselves to sleep that evening, as the closing ceremonies came, there were, around just a handful of students who stayed with me, to watch the flag get lowered back down.
But this group of children knew they weren’t good runners, so they’d, trained themselves, jumped rope, run the laps every single day to train, they’d even made me give them orders to train harder, and, everybody in the class, regardless of their sizes or shapes, all started working out, and, they’d won the third-place trophies in the relay of the fourth graders’ competitions. And, everybody in the class, with their parents started screaming in excitement, like we were the ones who were, first place winners.
This group of kids who were, originally, underdogs in sports, won the first place trophy of staying fit, and got sent on behalf of the school, to compete in the city-wide competitions, and we’d won an A-level achievement award. The jump rope contest before the splitting up of the class for the next year, I’d intentionally stepped away, and allowed the P.E. teacher who taught the sessions to stay with them; I’d smiled and told them, “I believe, you will, give me the good news!”
They’d carried that pride like they were leaving earth, contined jumping, and, they received first place, and two casings of drinks as their winnings, and I, sat in the camps, like a general, knowing that my troops were, well-prepared to achieve anything they set their minds to!
So son, do remember how it felt, to lose, and, be brave, stick with it, fight harder for your next battles. I’m sure, that the underdog will come out on top, so long as you still want to win.
And so, this just showed, how you’re the only one, standing in your ways, that so long as you can, conquer whatever it is that’s blocking you from achieving that excellence, you will come out on top, no matter how you’d begun.
Life, the Obstacle Course 