Significant Moments

We spend a lot of time on the side of the field these days. We are not just watching our own children play the game, we are supporting their entire team and every team that represents the school. It’s interesting to me that people I had never heard of before are, suddenly, not only familiar faces, but names we cheer for out loud.

During one rugby match, a guy chased the ball amidst huge encouragement from the crowd but then lost possession of it. As the whistle blew, a collective sigh of disappointment gushed like a roaring wind over him.

In those moments I was not watching the rugby, but the game of life. I was watching my own mess ups and fumbles and failures and I heard the boos and the disapproval. I wanted to hide that kid like I have wanted to hide myself.

What occurred in the split seconds after, touched my heart deeply. Whilst spectators, hands in faces, were still getting over their own dashed hopes for the moment, something significant occurred for that young man. One team mate patted his chest, another looked into his eyes and said something and a third ran by and squeezed his shoulders briefly before getting back into position. Those actions said:

“It’s OK! It could have been any one of us.”
“You belong here! This team needs you.”
“Remember who you are. This moment does not define you.”

It’s so important when we drop the ball (literally or metaphorically) that we tune out the voices on the sidelines and we zone in to the ones that matter. After all, the observers shouting that you are doing a good or bad job are, often, not even the ones who could do what you are doing. They are not sweating or bleeding or gasping for breath, they are eating chicken mayo wraps and drinking cokes.

Sometimes, we are the ones who are just not getting things right. We might be letting ourselves down as well as those who are counting on us. Real life is messy and nobody is perfect.

Other times we are right in position, near by, to bring someone back into the game. To call out the gold within and to wash the shame away.

I guess it’s recognising that we are capable of both sides of that coin.