Hope from Right Field

Last night, my child taught me a life lesson from the outfield.
During these seasons of sports, as a doting parent it is so easy to get caught up in the "fair" game, whether it be a bad call by a ref or a lesser assigned position for my son. And the latter, has been the toughest for me.
Often I think, if the coaches would just give him more pitching time, they'd see how good he is....but instead, my son is center field, third base, and the dreaded...right field. Sure, he's been on the mound a couple of times this season, but not nearly as much as some players.

Silliness, right?

But I know the heart of the tween, and how his ambition is knocked off kilter by the fairness game too. I can just see it in his eyes "It's not fair" when he's standing in the dugout as DH while the rest of his team plays.
So, last night...my son was in right field. I was trying to not play the fairness game in my head.  I was cheering on the other kids, the other pitcher, the in-fielders.

And what happened?

The last out was needed to clench the win, and the batter knocked the ball down the first base line straight into right field. If my son missed catching the ball, it would have nearly tied the game. But he stopped the ball, tossed it to first, and they won!
Later, he comes up to me and said, "Mom, before that play, I was thinking, wouldn't it be cool if I caught the ball and got someone out?"
And he did!
As I process all this, I realize something grander than the catch, the win, and the smiling boy on the ride home.
 I realize, that although my son wasn't in the "best" position, he wasn't sitting their grumbling during the game.
 He was hoping.
He wasn't counting the minutes to the end of the game because he was in a position he didn't care for. He was hoping that right then and there, in right field, he would contribute to the team with an awesome play.
He was making lemonade out of lemons, I guess.

How many times do I find myself in an undesirable situation, or a lesser place than I'd hope to be (ahem...unpublished?), and sit there grumbling and wanting to push time forward? How about when my kids are in a season of misbehavior? Do I grumble about it and strive to survive, or do I take the lemons, add a little sugary love, and make delicious lemonade by using the misbehavior to teach life lessons with patience and love?

Can't wait for my son to get home from school today, so I can share with him all he taught me!

 How 'bout you? Have your kids taught you something lately?