Dear Elli,
I had so much freaking fun today I can't even stand it!
Today was your first soccer game of the season and guess what? You are very clearly starting to demonstrate some actual athletic ability!
Now, before a bunch of crazed moms launch an attack, I think it's important that I point something out before I go on. I really did love you very much before today, and I would very much continue to love you even if you never demonstrated an ounce of athletic ability throughout your entire lifetime. Although I would forever claim it to be your father's fault.
Now we can move on.
You were great today! You were quicker, more aggressive, and worked harder than I've ever seen you work in an athletic setting. And the best thing about the whole game? You were having a BLAST!
I turned into one of "those" moms today. The mom who cheers and jumps up and down and generally acts like a lunatic on the sidelines.
I know I shouldn't care whether or not you like soccer. I know it shouldn't matter to me, and I guess it really doesn't matter at the end of the day. But the fact that you do like soccer makes me really happy. Like super duper happy!
You see, I loved playing soccer. I loved it more than anything in the world when I was a kid. It was pretty much the first thing I was ever truly good at.
But I wasn't good at all when I first started. I was a chubby little dork who couldn't run for five minutes without turning purple. I was slow, and I didn't understand the rules very well. Back then, each age group was split in two parts, the good kids and the kids who sucked. And I totally sucked.
The coaches didn't actually point out which team was which, but it was pretty clear to me. And I didn't want to suck.
I worked my ass off practicing in the yard at home. Dribbling, juggling, running, passing, shooting. And guess what? I got better. And I wasn't on the shitty team anymore. I was actually freaking good! I can't even begin to describe how much that meant to me. To earn a spot on the good team.
Soccer is so much more than a game to me. It is the thing that taught me that hard work really does pay off. And even today, when I'm afraid I'm going to fail at something I'm working really hard on, I run a highlight reel in my mind of all my best saves as a goalkeeper. It helps me believe in myself.
I was a young teenager when I quit playing. Maybe it's weird that I still think of my success as a kid on a soccer field when I'm afraid to fail as an adult, but I don't give a single shit. It works.
Every kid on the planet should experience success as a result of hard work and dedication. Something that sticks with them forever. Mine was soccer. If yours is as well, I will be truly honored to share it with you. And whether it's soccer, cheerleading, art class, or basket weaving, I'd be honored to see that, too.
I love you.
Mom
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