1 Mother 2 Another

Yes, there’s no surprise endings
with a title like that, eh?


Friday morning Maddie was apprehensive about heading to Invention
Camp – still nervous about her group’s duck launcher
not working – but was trying hard to be strong in her
decision not to forfeit. When I dropped her off, I pulled the
counselor aside and said, “Listen, if the duck-launching
thing doesn’t go well and Maddie asks to go to the bathroom,
can you please let her go? Quickly?” and filled her in on the
rest. The girl was sympathetic and promised to not give Maddie any
grief should tears overtake her.


Throughout the day I sent up a quick prayer for my daughter –
not that she’d win, or even score a point, with her invention
– just that she’d have the courage to try it, and the
strength to face the results. By the time I went to pick her up for
the parental showcase and dismissal, I was a nervous wreck.


As I walked towards Maddie’s table the counselor spotted me
and beamed. “Guess who didn’t need a bathroom
break?” she fairly shouted.


I looked at Maddie, who tried unsuccessfully to mask a smile and
finally gave up the attempt altogether. “Baby? How’d it
go?” I prodded.


Maddie jumped up and down. “We won! We won!”


Yep, her group won her level’s challenge.

I grabbed Maddie and squeeze the life out
of her, spinning her around madly and mouthing a “thank you
thank you thank you” prayer over and over again.


Here’s how it played out:


Maddie’s team discussed forfeiting and finally decided
against it. Each team had three tries; Maddie’s team chose
another girl to do the first two tries and said Maddie would do the
third attempt. In order to win, a team had to score at least one
point.


First try out, Maddie’s team scored a point and the crowd
went wild. Second time around, no point. Then it was Maddie’s
turn. She stepped up to the launcher, took a big gulp, launched,
and –


No point.


But her team was the only one to score a point at all, so they won.


And really, that’s the best possible way this whole thing
could have gone down. Maddie’s team won, the pressure
wasn’t on her to make it so, and in fact she didn’t
even score a point when she had the chance with no pressure on her.
BUT – and this is a big but – she didn’t care!
She was just thrilled her group won, and so proud of them all, that
she didn’t even mind not scoring a point when it was her
turn.


We went out for ice cream to celebrate, and for the rest of the day
when Maddie told the story, the first thing Maddie said was,
“Guess what! I was scared, but my team entered the
competition anyway! Oh, and we won!”


That? Is a great order of priorities. My baby learned a lot that
day.