Week Twenty-Seven WooHoo to Victories - Big and small......

What a hot week this has been!  The airconditioning in my car has been out and repairing it, to the tune of $292.00, is out of the question right now.  It’s made for some drippy, messy drives into work and tinge of surliness.  I’ve been trying to keep my crankiness to myself.  It's no one’s fault the economy, my financial security, and the weather all moved to the equator.  In the grand scheme it really doesn’t help to be a grouch.  It takes more energy to get all worked up than it does to just breathe in (even though the air is much warmer) and envision balmy breezes on beautiful beaches. Ahhhhh.... Filling my time with (figuratively) cool activities has paid off this week in entertainment value and genuine joy.  

I was privileged to take my two oldest grand-daughters to the Miss Ohio pageant.  The tickets were courtesy of my employer, under one condition.  I had to write about the experience from the kids’ point of view.  They spent the week prior making up sheets with the contestants pictures from the newspaper, and added notations about the Colleges attended, and personal platforms.  Alex, the oldest, had already made up her mind she liked the young woman whose platform was to end cyber bullying.  The day of the pageant, they spent some time carefully picking out the perfect clothes, coiffing their hair, and (shhhh... don’t tell daddy) putting just a tinge of make-up on. I’ve never been a Miss anything wannabee or fan, even in my day-dreamer childhood.  It all seemed ridiculous to pick one beautiful young woman based on some of the criteria... how they looked in an evening gown and bathing suit.   I have to admit, these two little divas of mine, changed my mind.  We had a ball.  The entertainment was fun.  The talent of the ladies was commendable.  The energy of the crowd added to the excitement and invigorated. And, I must say the poise of these young women was role model material for my little ladies. The icing on the cake... they all looked breathtaking.   The next day,  I gave the girls some homework to complete posing a series of written questions about the pageant and what Miss Ohio meant.  Hey, there are no free rides. The questions ranged from what did you like best and least, to what do you think the pageant is all about.   My final question was, Would you ever consider trying out for Miss Ohio, and if so, why?  Their answers... One said, “Maybe. I could earn college money caring for others for the year, and looking beautiful is an awesome job!”  The other one said, “Yes.  It would give me a chance in a lifetime to help children and maybe not win, but I would have fun.”   Both of these little girls get it and because they get it... .I got it. It’s just a means to an end and on the way, let your light shine and have fun.

My smallest grand-daughter received her very first trophy this summer.  She was old enough to play tee-ball this year and not only loved it, she can really belt the ball as well.  A dedicated and driven little athlete she took every bit of her daddy's advice and her technique in fielding (keeping her mitt on the ground) helped her defensive  game. There are no winners and losers in tee-ball. Every child gets to experience the thrill of a home run. What a great way promote confidence and teamwork at an early age.

Later in the week, I found myself at my middle grand-daughter’s baseball game.  The coaches moved the time to 8 p.m. in the hopes of avoiding some of the early evening, three digit heat.  She was selected to play in the All- Star game for her age bracket.  Now, she is a flexible, agile, little girl and a tenacious competitor.  Dancing is her love.   I never particularly viewed her  as an athlete, mostly due to her size. In basketball she was always the tiniest one on her team. It didn’t stop her from nipping at the knee caps of her opponents, and tossing that ball in the air over and over again until it swished through the basket.  I didn’t realize her dance practice has made this little girl very strong.  She hit a home run.  She had two doubles, and she threw a ball (straight) from the outfield clear in...to the pitcher.  She’s fast too.  Under the lights of field, my little roadrunner was just a purple streak zipping from base to base.  They didn’t win, but, boy, did they ever put on a show: these fierce little girls. What an exciting game. The final score, 23-22 and the crowd rewarded them all with a medal and an onslaught of water balloons at the end.  

Yeah, we all understand it now...It’s not so much who wins or loses.  It’s not even so much how you play the game. It’s more about what did you learn, did you bring joy to others, and most of all... did you have fun?  If we get that, in the long run, we are all victors.  WooHoo!