Dear Keegan, (Kaleb & Khloe, you can read as well)
Every now and then, life throws you into a situation that looks bleak and devastating.
A couple of weekends ago, we had a difficult situation happen during our Friday Varsity football game.
It was a football Friday in September, Friday the 13th, to be exact.
Eaton Rapids was playing Lakewood in a varsity football match-up. There was three minutes left in the first half, score tied 0-0, with Eaton Rapids heading towards the endzone.
Next thing I know, Marco, ER’s trainer, was motioning me over to the fence. Keegan was out of the game with a suspected broken collarbone. We needed to pull the truck around and take him to the local hospital to get X-rays.
Keegan, you were devastated. I could see it on your face, hear it in your voice, and feel it in my heart. I was devastated for you. We both knew, along with all the devoted ER fans in the stands, that your Junior year as QB for Eaton Rapids was over. (I can’t even begin to describe how we both felt when they cut your jersey off of you in the Emergency Room.)
Now, there may be some readers out there that don’t quite understand the devastation an athlete can feel in a moment such as this.
I get that, sort of.
While our family seems to live and breathe sports, I know not everyone does.
There are so many worse situations we could be going through as a family. We could be battling child cancer, severe concussion with a brain injury, etc… The list is endless.
Nevertheless, it shouldn’t take away from the utter despair that Keegan, and subsequently myself, was feeling at the time when the injury occurred. It wasn’t about the pain, although I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant having his collarbone pieces rubbing together. It was about the loss of a much anticipated football season.
There are dreams in there that shouldn’t be discounted.
What I would like you to take from this experience, however, is that you still have a choice that needs to be made.
When you are thrown into a difficult situation, you can feel sorry for yourself and sulk away, or you can change your mindset and make the most of it.
Being on the sidelines, for anything, will be difficult for you, however a different perspective can change how you see life.
Don’t discount the lessons learned when life throws you a curveball, or when it breaks your collarbone.
Take your moment to be devastated, but then lift yourself up and carry on.
I love you. I wish it had been my collarbone breaking.
Keep your head up. Basketball season is right around the corner.
Love,
Mom
Goals for Today:
- Declutter the Junk Drawer
- Clean the Kitchen
- Watch Some Football