Why? the Thrill of Victory

My 11 year old grandson is a very good athlete and plays football, basketball and baseball. He is a 5th grader. He has two 6th grade friends who talked him into playing YMCA basketball this year. The problem is their team is playing in a Jr. High league made up of 7th and 8th graders. Understand this, a team with one 5th grader, mostly 6th graders and I think 2 eighth graders. Well anyway they lost the first 2 games by 30-40 points, very ugly.

So the team they played tonight had 3 boys 6'2" and I went to their coach as a kindly old grandfather and asked him to take it easy on my grandson's team(a little private conservation).

My grandson is the point guard. With the score tied and 6 seconds to go, he brought the ball up in a hurry and(no he didn't make the winning shot) he made a perfect pass to our star player who scored just inside the free throw line as time ran out. Final 39-37. The thrill of victory is sweeter after the taste of defeat. They will probably not win another game, but it is all worth it. And you know, life is all about victory and defeat. Defeat shapes and makes us, victory shapes us and makes us and it is really all about the striving(life). I'm feeling old, but satisfied tonight.