Best Boy

"he increased in wisdom and stature"

Luke 2:52

You'd think, since our sports are officially ended for the year, that I'd be done with posts about sports.  But apparently the lessons I learned are still with me.  Or still coming to me.  And hopefully they won't stop, because in case you haven't noticed, I love learning from the everyday things in life...

My Amazing Boy had his Little League closing ceremonies the other night.  He didn't particularly want to go, though.  Our team did well, but this wasn't his favorite year of baseball (more on that later) and the closing ceremonies are never really all that fun for him.  After all, Little League is about kids, and grownups giving speeches might not be the best way to acknowledge the kids' hard work.  These kids don't even like sitting still, much less listening to the president of the league thank everyone on the board or whatever. 

But the rest of his team was going to be there, and the Apple of my Eye was one of the assistant coaches, so they felt they should go for awhile.

I, on the other hand, stayed home with my Awesome Girl, cuz if there's anyone who is more bored by Little League closing ceremonies than Little Leaguers, it's their big sisters.

So she and I stayed home and watched "Say Yes to the Dress".  You know; girl stuff.

Two hours later, the boys were home.  Speeches?  Yes.  Trophies?  A few.  I think all the players in the lower years get them, but my boy is in Majors now and the standards are stricter.  Our team went all the way to the championship game, but lost, so we were the runners up.  You know, in case the champion team is not able to fulfill all their responsibilities.

So he didn't get a trophy.  They don't give trophies to the runners up; just to the champions. 

And to the team that was in first place for the first half of the season.

And the team that was in first place for the second half of the season.

That's three teams getting trophies.  Out of five teams.  But who's counting.

Did I mention we went all the way to the championship game?

Truthfully, my boy doesn't really care about a trophy.  And neither do I.  It would just be one more thing in his room.  I'm just sayin', I think the College Bowl system makes more sense than Little League.  And that's goin' some.

But one thing I would have liked to have seen him come home with, is the award for Best Sportsmanship.  Which he didn't.  Which was fine with him, because he didn't want to be embarrassed by having to go up in front of all those people to accept it.  And he was very glad for the boy who won it.  It was the boy he himself had voted for.

I knew there was a chance my boy would win it.  He has before, and he's nothing if not a good sport.  Even-tempered, encouraging, and unfailingly polite.  In a word, well, Amazing.  But I would have liked for him to win it this year in particular, because I know what this year has been like for him. 

He loves baseball, and he loved every game this season.  But he wasn't as fond of his coach this year as he has been in years past, and he didn't really have any good friends on his team.  His two closest friends were on different teams, and though he got along fine with most of his teammates, there were a few that were a challenge to him.  Twelve-year-olds can be a tricky bunch.  These seemed to have a love of bathroom humor, and looked for ways to add swearing to their conversations.  Neither of those interest my boy.  So all season he walked the fine line of trying to get along and work together with people that he sometimes found it difficult to be around.

A lot of us know that struggle.  Schools and workplaces and other aspects of daily life are full of opportunities to show love when we aren't feeling it.  Patience, kindness, and a refusal to judge those who are in a different place...  Staying true to ourselves when the conversation turns to something we know wouldn't please Him.  It's not easy.

My boy grew over the course of this season.  In maturity and spirituality, and in understanding how tough it can be to be in the world but not of it.   Little League didn't recognize his growth, but God sees every bit of it, and I know He is pleased with my boy.

Maybe even as much as his Momma.

~ "Well done, good and faithful servant;

you have been faithful over a few things,

I will make you ruler over many things. 

Enter into the joy of your lord" ~

Matthew 25:23

~