Goals

Way back during the first week of school, I had the opportunity to visit Nick's school for meet the teacher night. After sitting through an hour long meeting and listening to the things that each teacher wished to accomplish with our children, we were taken back to their classroom. Once in the room, we were told to find our child's desk and then flip over the piece of paper that was sitting on top.

The piece of paper was a letter that Nick wrote to me about what he wanted to accomplish this school year. It was a sweet letter with its fair share of spelling and grammatical errors, but what struck me were the things that Nick had included in his list of goals.

I won't list them all, but here are a few.....He said that he wanted to make more of an effort with Reading, because that is always a struggle for him. He also wanted to be more independent with orginization and homework, and promised that he would do all homework right after school with no begging and pleading on my part. The last thing on his list was a personal goal....he said that by the end of the soccer season he wanted to score at least one point for his team. My heart melted when I read this...... This poor kid was crushed when he did not make the travel team last spring and instead of letting it beat him down, he is trying his hardest to improve.

Although it is a little tough to score when you play defense, that has not stopped Nick from giving it his all. It is in his nature to be a very mild mannered, easy going, compassionate child, but he has really taken us by surprise when he hits the field......the look of determination on his face just speaks for itself......He is a force to be reckoned with.

A couple of weeks ago, he thought he should quit the team because of his school work. He was feeling overwhelmed and said that if he gave up soccer he would have more time to dedicate to studying. If you remember, I was totally against this, although grades are important, so is being a kid, and I think Nick really needs this activity to keep him balanced and well rounded. I am so glad he stuck it out and didn't cave under the pressure of homework.

In these last few months, Nick has grown in both body and spirit. He has yet to score that goal for himself, but has had multiple assists throughout the season. Each Saturday as the coach yells out starting positions, I can see Nick just waiting in anticipation that he will be given a chance to play offense in hopes of scoring that goal. He may not have the opportunity this year, as there are only two games left to the season, but I know that he can do anything he puts his mind too. I couldn't be more proud of this little guy......

Protecting the goal!

Hoping to get in on the action....the ball is headed in his direction!

I thought it was about time I give credit where credit is due......

This is Nick's Dad, Scott. He has gone to every practice with Nick and attended every game.....he even assists the coach when needed.

Typically I would not say that children of divorce are lucky, but Nick certainly is one of the lucky ones. His Dad is very much a part of his life. Scott and I are able to put the past aside and give Nick the best life we possibly can. He now has two complete families that love and support him.