THE UNEXPECTED (Repost from March 2, 2005)

(Graphic by Simone...please do not rip her work.)

This particular past entry is one of mine that makes me feel good. Oh, the little things in our world that can bring us joy are boundless.

Wednesday, March 2, 2005; 8:32:00 PM EST; Feeling Quiet; Hearing Slave To Love~Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music (mmm, baby)

The Unexpected

I had attended a boys soccer game being played by five- and six-year-olds. It is next to impossible to watch kids that age play the game without smiling. Usually, it is "pack ball"...there is a clump of kids who are frantically kicking at the ball, and they travel up and down the field in one large pack. A few kids remain on the fringe of all the activity, not because they are staying in their assigned positions as much as they are virtually clueless as to what to do. Young children are sometimes quite emotional, too, while they play. They fall, and they cry. They accidentally get kicked, and they cry. They get in a really good kick, and they are jubilant and jump up and down in celebration while looking over at their parents and grandparents to be sure their stunning move has been observed by them! It is very entertaining and heartwarming to watch them play. They are not only learning the rules and techniques of soccer; they are also learning about themselves and beginning to explore the competitive nature of sports. So...

I was sitting along the sidelines and intently watching the pack of kids make futile attempts to kick the ball. All of a sudden, the ball squirted out of the sea of tangled legs. It rolled over to this lone boy who was standing very near where I was seated. His eyes lit up...he waited for the ball to reach him...he drew back his right foot...and then with all his might, he kicked that ball HARD. He kicked it so hard that he lost his balance. Both his feet went flying up in the air, and he fell onto the ground landing on his back. All the spectators gasped...sure that he had been hurt. The little boy rolled over onto his stomach and barely moved. His parents were seated next to me, and they were extremely worried. The boy fiddled around with the grass for a few seconds, then he looked up at his parents with a twinkle in his eyes. He said to them, "Hey! I just found a four-leaf clover!" We all went into hysterics~relieved he was not injured and totally charmed by the fact he was in the midst of a game, yet he was oblivious to what was transpiring on the field. Forgotten was his glorious kick. Forgotten was the nasty jolt to his body as he hit the ground. The important thing to him at that moment was his unexpected good fortune at finding something he felt was special and meaningful.

And isn't that a lesson for all of us? The game of life sometimes knocks us flat on our backs. We have the choice of focusing on the negative during those times. We also have the choice of finding something positive about our situation. We might have to look awfully hard to see anything we deem a plus, but undoubtedly it is there waiting to be discovered.

Today's quote:

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." ~W. Clement Stone