"Congratulations on your child making it to the REGIONAL Track and Field Competition Finals! Please note that he/she can only attend if a parent transports and supervises their child for the time that they are there. He/she cannot attend otherwise."
In other words, "Great, after your kid did such a fantastic job representing the school by placing second at the AREA events, now that he excelled even more, being amongst only a handful of kids from hundreds to place that well, if you can't bring him to the next level of competition, you will kill his dreams and guess what, as a parent YOU SUCK!!"
The note arrived home in the backpack with much fanfare from the boy, only days before the regional event was scheduled to take place. And we only found out about the area competition the week before.
Guess who's overseas on business all week? Guess who is at home, but hosting a meeting with international visitors, which has been on the books for four months?
Yeah, we suck. And my boy was in tears. As was his Mom, her heart breaking inside.
A year ago she would have been able to be there, cheering him on.
Today, it sucketh.
*****
Oh I know, I'm just as melodramatic as my kid. Arrangements are being made, because we want to make this happen for the boy. Even if we can't be there, we want him to be. It's his shining moment.
As a 10 year old starting to show signs of the apathetic teen years ahead, glimpses of the little kid in him these days are starting to be fewer and further between. When talking about the track events though, his face just lights up. His eyes shine with excitement as he tells us how well he did. He was up at 6 AM the day of the AREA meet - even though we couldn't make that event, he was still determined to do his best and make us proud. Not that he needs to do anything more than just be our son - we're pretty darned proud of him regardless, but he's driven. And disappointed that we won't be seeing him at the meet.
I keep telling him that this won't be the only time he'll make the finals. At the rate he's going he's likely going to qualify every year.
But it's not the same - this is the first time. And it will be the first time in a long, five years long time, that I haven't been there for a first.
12 comments:
Oh that breaks my heart, for you and for him. I'm sorry that you can't make it. :( Maybe someone can record it for you and the hubby??
I do hope someone has a camcorder there. I'm off to watch Number One & Two at our regionals. Plus side of living where we do and running our own business. Negative side, I may well be there all day since no one seems to know the schedule of events and the boys are in four of them. Have a great week.
You know, there is never TRULY a way to "have it all," and I think most of us know that the price of a career is a number of sacrifices we wouldn't otherwise have to make. I just send you hugs.
Good for you, my friend. I face this challenge, too. there are no two ways around it - sometimes being a working parent sucks and blows all at the same time.
oh that does suck.
On the bright side- awesome that the boy has such a strong interest in something so positive.
That's so stupid. Our kids' school does that sometimes too. Like they don't realise that parents have anything else to do with their time and might like some notice to arrange their attendance at these events.
I am practically in tears too! I can imagine how that would feel for both you and him. I am glad you are able to make other arrangements. And? SEND THE VIDEO CAMERA with whoever takes him. Ahem. That way he gets to relive it when you watch it all together.
It will be a beautiful memory!
oh Karen, i would be in tears too. It is awful when we can't do it all for our kids for whatever reason!!
Your line: glimpses of the little kid in him these days are starting to be fewer and further betweenput tears to my eyes as i started noticing this with my boy-he'll be 4 next week!! why can't we just freeze time for a little while???
I don't think you sound melodramatic at all. I would be in tears as well. I'm glad to hear that you're able to make arrangements and someone else can take and supervise him. It really does sucketh that you can't attend, though. Work...blah.
This sucks! I hate it when this sort of thing happens. Sadly it does happen...
That really, really sucks. I'm so sorry!!
Oh, this made my heart hurt! I'm so sorry.
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