Hey kid,
There’s something I need you to know.
I’m gonna miss this.
As the sun set perfectly over the field last night, and the fans cheered, and I watched you do what you loved; my heart swelled.
It didn’t matter who won or if it was your best game.
I was just happy to be a small part of it.
You may also like to read: It’s Hard to Imagine What Your Life Will Look Like After Youth Sports Ends
I loved watching you do what you love.
Sometimes, I complained about the early practices and the games I sat out in the smoldering sun and how every Mother’s Day was spent on a field. I don’t know why there was a torrential downpour during every tournament or how you could stand to play in shorts while I froze in the stands.
I didn’t always understand the sport or liked what happened, but I loved watching you play.
And as any parent does, I grew to love what you loved.
Even when your team lost every game, even when I thought my feet would freeze off, even when our weekends were booked solid.
I will always be in the stands for you.
My heart skipped a beat when you looked for me in the stands.
It was your last game, and you looked for me, just as you have since your first preschool event so many years ago.
I’ve done it hundreds of times whenever I could.
I’ve found my seat and waited for you to do your thing. Every time you walk out, I see you casually look out into the crowd until we lock eyes.
I’ve watched you through countless competitions and performances. I’ve sat through long concerts and rainy sporting events. I tried to go to every school activity and classroom project possible.
But my favorite seat was in these stands.
And today, on your last one, you still scanned the crowd to find me.
Life will move on, and it will be different.
It’s all coming to a close. There will be more things to watch and celebrate, but it will be different. High school graduation is an end and it’s a beginning.
But me showing up for you in whatever way possible whenever I can? Well, that will never change.
My dear child, your school years were filled with performances and events and activities, and they are coming to an end, but when you seek me out, when you need to lock eyes with me to gain a little confidence, when you look for a smile that says there is always one person in the world cheering for you?
I’ll be there, sitting in the stands of your life, rooting for you every step of the way. But I’m going to miss this, too.
You’ve grown up out there on that field in every beautiful way. You learned how to lose (a lot), and you learned how to win graciously. You became a supportive teammate from the bench and found your passion for coaching the next generation. You’ve built so much resilience and established a work ethic that will take you far.
And as the sun sets on this season of life for the both of us, I’m just grateful that I was a part of it.
I need you to know, kid, that I really loved watching you play.
I’ll always be on the sidelines of your life, cheering you on.
But I’m gonna miss this.
For an additional resource to help you through the challenges of raising teens and tweens, we recommend The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour.
Parenting teens and tweens is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone. These posts may help:
For the Love of My Daughter’s Game of Basketball
It’s Hard to Imagine What Your Life Will Look Like After Youth Sports Ends
Competitive Youth Sports Means Crazy Schedules But Great Life Lessons
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