My son had a rough day on the courts today. He played a practice set against a kid he has beaten the last several times they’ve played. Today he lost.
I could tell the moment he walked up to the car that something was wrong. I asked if everything was okay. He answered, “Not a great practice today, Mom.” I didn’t bite. I just put the car into “drive” and headed out of the parking lot.
A few seconds later, he told me that he had lost the set and had played really badly, but, that, on the bright side, he had put Super Glue on a nasty blister on his finger, and it masked the pain so he could hold his racquet. Okay, he’s looking for something positive to salvage his afternoon – that’s a good sign.
But, the cloud of the loss quickly returned and hung over him during his fitness session, during his ride home with Dad, and all during dinner. After he went upstairs to shower, I told my husband that, while I’m happy he’s not satisfied to lose, I really wish he could find a way to put it away and move on with his day. A teenager is challenging on the best days. A moody teenager who is sulking after a bad practice is to be avoided like the plague.
Thank goodness tomorrow’s another day . . .
