You Are Awesome

While in the car, I told Nick about a hypothetical question that I heard on the radio. 

"If you had the choice, would you be the worst player on a winning team or the best player on a losing team?"

Selfishly, we both opted for the latter.  Maybe not every time, but there is something ego-boosting about being the best on a team, no matter the talent of the rest of the players.  It was more fun watching Abby be a leader on her team of much younger girls this past spring than to watch her be an average player on a team that went to the state championship last fall.

I know-not a very good team mentality and we would never teach our kids to think that way.  We were just being honest with each other.

Apparently, Caleb was listening from the back seat.

This kid cannot hear me say to pick up his toys, get dressed or brush his teeth when I am standing right next to him.  But, he heard our private conversation from the very back of the van with the radio blaring.

As we were talking we heard this little voice say, "I would say...sorry, I was listening to you guys...I wouldn't say what you guys said, I would say the other thing."

When we asked him why, he said, "If my team played yours, I would win.  The other guys on my team would win because I have better players than your team."  He went on to talk about how he would not mind being the worst player because the team would still be the best.

I shall remind my competitve boy of this conversation the next time he gets upset on the field.

Nick told Caleb that he was proud of him and how he is growing up to be a better man than himself. 

Caleb responded, "Dad, you are awesome!  You are both awesome.  you are both the same."

As we smiled at his reaction, he went on to say, "You guys should be saying this stuff, not I."

Not I?

Apart from his hilarious grammar, he was correct in his thoughts.  Nick and I should be telling each other how awesome we are more often.  Not because we think so highly of ourselves, but because we think so highly of each other.  Somewhere in the midst of kids, work, carpool, errands, and general life-telling each other how awesome we find each other tends to get lost.

Nick, after 14 years of knowing you, you are still pretty awesome.  I am so glad that I get to spend this life with my best friend.