EXCITING DAY FOR GAGE

Today was a particulary exciting day for Gage. Rob and I have continued to be frustrated (as I'm sure Gage's soccer coach is) about Gage's overall soccer performance. We don't need or expect him to be the best or to score all kinds of goals. More than anything we just want him to try his best. I just don't even think I can accurately describe Gage during a soccer game. He just stands there, even when the ball is right at his feet, he freezes. It's so bizarre. I decided that he just must not be interested in soccer and doesn't like it, but I have continually asked him if he likes it and wants to keep playing and he excitedly says how he loves soccer. It just doesn't make sense.









Last night, Rob asked him if he wanted to play in his soccer game the next day or if he just wanted to do something else and he again insisted that he loves soccer. Rob asked him again and Gage said, "Dad, it seems like you don't want me to play soccer anymore." He is so insightful. He has no idea how it's pure torture for us to watch his games.









Well, I sat him on my lap in the rocking chair and started talking to him about it and asking questions. I discovered what should have been so obvious. He was afraid of the ball smacking him in the face and afraid of being hurt by one of the other kids. I talked to him about the courage and what that means. I reminded him that he is a boy of steel and even though he's afraid, he can be brave and push through it. I told him one of the best ways of doing that was to pray for courage and strength. We continued to remind him of this on the way to the game the next day and he was fired up.









It paid off. He played a whole different game that day. He still wasn't the best on the field, and that's really ok. More important, he was doing his very best. He was facing his fears and playing the best game of his life. The last play of the game, he broke away from the pack with the ball and scored a GOAL!!!!! We were so excited!! But my pride was not about the goal, it was that he had faced it and overcome it and had done his absolute best. That was a great feeling for all of us.









Gage, you really are a boy of steel. Remember that feeling always, facing down your fears and overcoming them.










Later that afternoon, he lost his first tooth!!!!!! He was so excited and I actually got a little emotional secretly.









So, in one night the tooth fairy AND the Easter Bunny visited. The tooth fairy brought him one dollar and the Easter Bunny brough a basket full of goodies.