Wierdness

I really didn't plan on going to Ashley's tournament this weekend...the drive, the time, the not being able to watch my child play due to injury, BUT, she calls me this morning from the tournament to tell me that two of my buddies from high school were there, and both of their daughters were playing in the tournament. Whaaa???? Alex and I high tailed it to Leander and got to hang out with these two crazy ladies, and now I officially feel OLD. What the crap? How is it possible that we're watching our middle schoolers play middle school ball together?? Wasn't that long ago that WE were out there on that court with our dorky parents watching...guess who's the dork now. Looovely. Sorry mom and Andy, sorry Ruthie and dad. Teenagers are mentally ill, really they are.

After they played Ash took me aside and begged like she's never begged before, to play in the next game...which was in about an hour. I said no way. Not giving in. Not a good idea. Forget it.
She proceeds to cry her eyes out and all but threaten to hate me the rest of her life (not really) and storms away. Phew, good, I won, right? Nah. Over the course of the next half hour just about every girl from the team came to beg on her behalf that I allow her to play. Nope, not working. And then Jake walks up. Sweet Jake, whom Ashley is convinced I love more than her, whom I really do like a lot and would like to adopt as my own. He diplomatically explains to me that this injury cannot get worse, and that the worst that could happen is that she'd have a longer recovery time if she worked it too hard. And then he tells me "that should be her choice". Geez! This kid is only 12 (maybe 13) and in my eyes has earned his spot on the debate team in high school.

I didn't win. She won. I let her play, despite the cloud of guilt hanging over my head, and the shame of sitting up in the stands with all the parents who I'm sure thought I was a horrible mother for allowing her to play. Oh well. Life goes on.

She played better than I've ever seen her play before, she WANTED that game, and she got it. She was fine. In the end, she scored 4 of the teams mere 8 points and despite loosing the game for the third place tropy, my girl won. And in a smallish way, I did too.