Thursday, April 23, 2009

Country Boy Soccer

Joshie had his first soccer game of the season this past Saturday, and it was cold outside having just rained all night the night before. I asked him if he wanted to wear sweats, and he politely said "No thank you, I will wear my holey jeans." So off we went, my kid looking like the least likely soccer player on the field with no cleats (We decided to wait until it gets a bit more competitive before spending money on yet another pair of shoes that will be worn 8 weeks and outgrown!), jeans, and a camoflauge hoodie. Hmmm...not really "soccerish" attire. Josh, like the other boys, plays for fun and could care less if they win or lose. None of the 3 LaJoy boys is very enthralled with typical sports, they are definitely not going to fall in the "jock category" which suits us just fine. But they enjoy soccer and TaeKwonDo, and Kenny has expressed an interest in tennis so we might check that out this year.

Well, during the first part of the game Josh was typically Joshie...standing as goalie with his hands in his hoodie, kind of taking it all. Suddenly, towards the end of the game, something clicked and it was like he turned a wee bit into a mini-Pele! Out of the blue he starts jumping in the fray to go for the ball, looking for all the world like the biggest hayseed out there as he nonchalantly starts stealing the ball from others and then...









surprise, surprise...



scoring a goal!!!

Let's hear it for the Hayseeds!!!

But it was this picture which screamed out the nature of Joshie...while everyone else is playing, someone on the other team got hurt and Josh was the first there to see if the little guy was OK, totally oblivious to the game action going on around him.

In my mind, it isn't the goal that makes him a winner...it is his compassion. I'd rather have that than a jock any day of the week!

1 comment:

traceylynndel said...

Cindy,

I just wanted to share a bit from my point of view and experiences. I have had bio children, I have miscarried early. I have given birth to half grown no longer living sons. I have lost adoption referrals I have never met. I have lost one referral we held in our arms for four tumultuous days and we have finally brought home an adopted child. Losing the referrals we never met hurt for a little while. Losing babies at seven weeks hurt a little more. Losing our sons half way through pregnancy hurt just as much as losing Nadya did. We held Nadya in our arms for four days. We loved her. We grieved what would never be with her just as we did our bio sons. With her it is different though. I know she sits in an institution in Uralsk and will never know the love of a family. What will become of her I do not know. I do know I will see Sam and Jonas again one day in heaven. The referrals we lost prior to travel we lost due to others adopting them first. Others we lost due to changing countries. But all those kids will find loving families one day. They were healthy happy children. Nadya is not healthy or happy. She is alone. That pain is worse by far than any other I have experienced as far as children go. Thank you for your posts. They are encouraging at times, thought provoking at others and always honest.