On teaching a child to become, more resilient, by helping him understand his own defeats, how even as he’d worked so hard, success, isn’t, always, a given…translated…
My youngest sister-in-law posted on the Family’s Group, our nephew, An-An’s kindergarten winter camp goings on, as I’d clicked the file open, I saw his nose red, frowning. Before I had a chance of guessing what’d happened, the message stated, “Because An-An didn’t receive the Most-Valuable Player Award!”
On the week of the camp, we’d watched An-An stood there, on that gigantic baseball field, with the whistles from his coach, being the tiniest, he’d had the stance. In just a few short days, the basics: dribbling, passing to shoot the basket, he’d, already looked professional, and, the games that came before the end of these training sessions of defense, offense, it’s, the greatest measurement of how the team worked together. Being so young, he probably equated hard work with receiving a reward, and I can imagine, just, how disappointed, he must’ve, felt.
I wanted to tell him, that his focus in practice, how much he’d, poured into the trainings, how his, persistence will eventually, made him into, the MVP. Being focused on the training sessions, meant that he’d, believed in what he was doing, how it’d brought, meanings, to his life. Being passionate about it, will help him find the wills to fight, and, it would, affect his fellow players too, to work toward that goal together, while the never-ending, never-quitting practice, it’ll, help him, grow stronger in the mind, and help him become, stronger, more flexible too.
As I saw him on the weekends, I’d given him a hug. He’d shared with me the joys and funs he’d had in the basketball camps. Didn’t go into detail about the games or the activities, I’d not said to him, “Don’t feel too bad, it’s okay you didn’t get the MVP awards, just work harder to get it next time!”. He’d not needed to explain to me, “I didn’t cry anymore, I’m not sad over it.”
I know, that it’s, easier to pretend, that everything is okay, this young child is, learning, to cope with his upset in him own time, based off of, his own, terms.
MVP stands for “Most Valuable Player”, being awarded as such, it’s from the hard work in training of the players, creating that glory that belonged to the individual, and the team too.
The meaning of this award is not only an affirmation from the outside, it also can, help the child believe, “no matter what, the results of competition, if we win, if we lost, I am, worthy!”
The MVP of NBA in 2015, Cory stated, “living in the moment, keep working hard, being grateful for everything, we’re all, MVPs!” I want to give these words to An-An as a gift, this isn’t something easy. Other than accepting one’s own losses, it also included self-knowledge, self-awareness, facing the losses internally, and come into acceptance of oneself fully, this, is one of the most important lessons in, growing up.
And so, you can see, how this kid is, upset, he’d, worked, so very hard, and still, not gotten the MVP awards, but, it’s an important lesson for him, that nothing in life is given, that sometimes, you work hard, and still, not get the results you wish for, and that’s, just, a fact of life, and, this kid is being, given the opportunity to learn just that.
Life, the Obstacle Course 