Yallah, Yallah!

Dear T,

This morning was Sports Day at Victory Heights. An opportunity for parents to watch what our little ones have been working on in gym class. You rotated around the field sprinting, hurdling, long jumping, throwing a javelin and shooting a basketball. But what I watched today T, was far more than basketball skills or hurdle jumping. It was my 5 year old girl showing grit, determination and the will to do her level best and it has filled me with pride all day with some tear welling on the side. 

You remain the smallest and youngest amongst your classmates. Which makes competing at a physical level a challenge. You amazed me today with your complete disregard of that fact. Your confidence rivaled the kid standing next to you in the long jump line, that was two years older, 15 inches taller and 60 pounds heavier, that you BEAT! It also went head to head with the basketball standard that was about 4 of you tall. But the moment that stands out from the rest was when half way through your relay, you tripped and fell. My heart dropped but before I could shout, "It's ok T, hop up!", you were hopping up and taking off, finishing the race and passing off the baton to your teammate like you never even considered there was another option. I watch stunned for 1/2 a second in my own silence and then started cheering my head off. It made me SO PROUD.

There has been more than one occasion in this short life of yours that you have had to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and I am moved each and every time. You have so much to teach me. About inner strength, underestimating others and gracious victory. Today was a great metaphor of this young life that is yours and the great one that lies ahead of you. I will be watching and cheering from the sidelines, feeling so lucky I got a front row ticket to your show.

Way to go Tess. 

 

Tess and her friend Imogen from Australia.