Senior moments

I'm not talking about the type of senior moments that leave you wondering why you came into a room. Instead I am talking about the senior moments that occur during your last year of your high school education. The one that you will always measure a person's age by, like " I think she graduated in 1971, so she is probably getting close to retirement." Tonight was a senior moment for Steven.

Tonight was his last home basketball game of his high school career. The gym was full of cheering fans - and they lost. JCCHS Played Holy Family, a team they lost to earlier in the season. Steven had high hopes and a conviction that they could win tonight. They came close, even taking the lead for a short time right before half time. However, by the end of the game, the margin was much greater.

Steven always is disappointed when the team loses. He feels that they could win every game. He has such a spirit about him. He doesn't play most of the game, but doesn't care as long as they win. Tonight was different. His last game in front of the home crowd. He wanted to play and he wanted to win. He thought that he had a chance to play more because it was senior night and the seniors REALLY wanted to win this game. When neither of those things happened, he was sorely disappointed.

Nothing hurts a mother's heart quite like seeing your child's heart get broken. It doesn't matter if it is a girlfriend or a basketball game that does it. If only we could smoothe the road for them. Instead, we can only hurt for them, cry with them, and hug them tight.

I couldn't be prouder of Steven's performance on the basketball team if he had scored every point John Carroll made. He has such a good attitude and team spirit. He is a leader and is always the first one off the bench to congratulate or encourage his teammates. He knows every play and everybody's position. He has real insight in issues the team experiences. This year has been a tough one. One team member quit in the middle of the season. Another team member lost his academic eligibility. They struggled to pull together to play as a team. Steven didn't get the amount of playing time he wanted or felt he deserved. Through all of this, Steven kept his chin up and his attitude positive. That attitude and perseverance is what will serve him much more in life than scoring points in high school basketball.

Steven, I love you son and am so proud of you. I hope the rest of your senior moments are good ones.