Reflections.

Tyler arrived home, late last night, after the section final hockey game. He has been lucky in that when his JV team was done he was pulled to Varsity as a practice/reserve player. In that time, he's been enjoying practices, dinners and team building with a larger group - and learning every step of the way. As the team progressed through playoffs he was there to learn and take it in- loving every minute of it.

Unfortunately they lost, one game away from the state HS hockey tournament last night. Tyler came home and shared that this was the most important day of his life so far. That more than anything this 'makes you want to be there' and motivated him in ways he didn't know he had inside him. The much older guys on the team more than tolerated him - they included him. They modeled what team was about, and he is grateful. When they lost last night, they all cried together.

I was sorry for the team's loss, they worked very hard. Yet today I'm really proud of the growth that happened in the process. Life's lessons don't always come from a win or something that's easy. Recognizing the value of 'team' was in our master plan when he joined a team sport in elementary school and we questioned the 'value' at times when we ran like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to make schedules work.

Confirmation arrived last night. The hours were worth it, the early mornings and late nights were worth it. It all makes perfect sense.