Lesson Learned

It's pretty safe to say that the middle two weeks of June were a pretty crappy time for me...Little Guy had his surgery on June 11, and for two weeks was not only in constant pain, but stuck inside recovering when he should have been out enjoying the first two weeks of summer. At the end of our two weeks in quarantine, the United States Men's National Team was knocked out of the World Cup. By Ghana. Again.

Like I said, crappy two weeks. Awful to the Nth degree.

I spent Sunday in full stages-of-grief mode. I bemoaned the fact that Little Guy missed two birthday parties, the first session of swim lessons, and a trip to see Thomas the Tank Engine at the local railroad. I mourned the US team's loss to Ghana and their missed opportunities. I nursed the sting of loss. Luckily, before I spiraled out of control, Monday came.

Not traditionally anyone's favorite day, no one can argue that Monday is always the day for fresh starts. Little Guy started his first day of swim lessons! We opened our paddling pool, sandbox, and umbrella picnic table - we spent the entire day outside splashing and playing and picnic-ing. And I came to grips with our wonderful soccer team's loss. Those boys gave an entire country something to be proud of. They gave their all in every single match and played with undeniable heart and spirit. It was amazing the way they captured the love of the entire nation, even those Americans who aren't usually soccer fans. It was heart-warming the way the country continued to respect and be grateful to them even when they lost.

I guess the lesson of all this IS the lesson...every difficult time you go through teaches you something. With the Little Guy, we went through two incredibly tough weeks, but the happy ending we got was worth every minute. With our soccer team, we weren't lucky enough to get that happy ending. But, supporting them, seeing the country rally around them, and being awed by their courage, character, and never-say-die attitude -- I wouldn't have traded a minute of that for the world.

Everything happens for a reason, and whether you come out happier on the other side or not, you come out wiser and stronger nonetheless. Lesson learned.