Writing with Juliet Iwelunmor

Soccer season started yesterday. My baby started his first game confused about this sport. At first he sat down with his teammates and watched as they got up and went to the field. Then it was his turn and he was asked to join them in the field. The coach asked if he would kick the ball and my son looked at him confused. Then another kid started the game and off the rest of the kids went chasing the ball. My son stood where he was uncertain about what was happening. I told him to run along with the rest and chase the ball. He smiled but still stood where was. The kids ran up and down the field, while my son stood there really not understanding what was happening. Then the coach tried to get him to go sit down so another kid would play and my son refused to leave the field. I literally ran into the field to drag him out and when we got to where the other kids were sitting he was still struggling with me to go back into the field. I was confused. First , he was allowed to play, yet he did nothing. Next, he was asked to leave and he insisted he remained. Then when he left, he still wanted to return to the field even though we all knew he would end up doing nothing. I eventually took him to the side of the field and gave him a spare ball to play with.

We played together tossing the ball back and forth, back and forth and he ran around with it truly excited and then it hit me, confidence with anything isn’t with knowing everything. It’s your attitude towards that thing even if it leaves you confused. See my son is so new to soccer and he understands that to play you have to be in the field. That’s all that matters to him now. That and figuring out how to get the ball from so many other kids running around with it. Give the ball to him alone and he will chase it up and down, as if the field were all for him. I am keeping his confidence here for myself for days when life and work leaves me confused. Days too where I know nothing about anything. I realize now from this lesson from my son that my attitude towards that thing is all that matters. When the game ended and though he barely played, guess who was the happiest of them all, my son. Only time will tell if this lasts…