It is no secret that I am the biggest supporter of my boys. Home, school, sports, work - I will always have their back and brag about them to the point of embarrassment. That is just the kind of Mom (& Daddy) I had so it is the kind of Mom I am. I have never felt the need to apologize for it, I have never felt like a helicopter parent due to my pride - in fact, and if you as the boys they will probably agree, I am harder on them than other kids simply because I know they can reach their goals. They both have all the tools they need to do work and accomplish whatever they set their minds too. This is one of those proud moments for the kiddo - the one that used to be the short one.
Today I am on one of my random trips. Some people think I am crazy, I am probably am, but sometimes I think you need to use your miles, get on a plane and go for an adventure. This adventure took Alex & I back to Dayton - UD specifically - for the biggest game to date for our Flyers.
Today I dropped him off at the back of the Arena, a door I never knew existed in my 4 years here, so he could do work. My son will never wear a basketball team uniform, will never make the winning free throw (and not just because he misses those - always) in a D1 game, will never be in the player hall of fame, but that kid? He goes through the back doors to the UD Arena. He, and his fellow managers, set up the benches, the locker rooms, the uniforms, the water bottles / towels / chairs with smiles on their faces. If not actually on their faces, they have them inside as they know what a privilege their jobs are. Every time they enter the arena and hit the floor, they have the same butterflies the players do. They feel every swish, every miss as if they were suited up to play. They do their own shoot around before the players hit the court. While I know in reality this is just shooting hoops with buddies, part of me wonders if they do it to make sure there is nothing wrong with the rims, the balls, the shot clocks. There is nothing these managers won't do for their players, their coaches, their team.
It might not make sense to everyone, and it sounds irrational when you say it out loud to be sure, but tonight, as I am cheering on our Flyers, I will have butterflies for those men behind the bench. For those who do work because they love it and because they know that it is their job to ensure everything behind the scenes works so their players can go and make the shots and get the win.
Moral? Decide what you want to do, do the work, go through the secret doors and get it done. Somewhere, your mom, grandmom, dad, grandpa, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or friend (okay, all of the above I am sure) have butterflies for you. Know you are going to get it done right because whether you are the guys on the bench or behind it, someone has faith in you and knows you can get it done.