A Little Tennis Anyone?

It was a slightly misty moment for me as I watched my son, Nick, walk off the tennis court last night. I've done fairly well holding it together as a mom of a senior student, but last night was an indicator that I may be losing it soon. After four years of playing tennis in high school, four years of hard work, four years of persistence, four years of sporadic playing, Nick played his first Varsity doubles match. And, it was a good night. A proud parent's dream. A true gift from God to see.

Label me sappy, but it truly was Nick's shining moment after years of being patient, years of being a faithful team member, years of working hard with not a word of complaint. He and his doubles partner started off colder than the ice in my refrigerator and lost the first set. Trust me, I was getting a little nervous. This varsity debut was not starting off well. As the match progressed, however, they began placing shots well, taking their opponents off guard and gaining ground. The second set ended 6-1. Tied at one set each, they began the third set for the tie-breaker. South teammates began to rally at the bleachers because this last set was going to seal the fate of the entire school match. If Nick and his teammate didn't win, the school would lose to our opposing team. No pressure!

In a blaze of glory, like Mavericks, they took out the other doubles pair with a 6-0 victory! Their victory gave Bloomington South their first Conference Indiana win. My boy was part of a great moment.

It's as if someone lit a fire underneath those two boys, they exchanged lack of confidence for a "we can do it" attitude, and they tore the court up. These are the beautiful gifts that I thank God for. These are extraordinary moments in my ordinary day in which I see God work. He gave Nick the spotlight, and as a parent who knows the effort and sacrifices he has made to be part of this team, it is something I will always treasure.