Monday, February 23, 2009

A lesson in humility - Ouch!



At the beginning of the Basketball season, my die-hard TarHeel daughter made a bet with her Uncle Aaron. Molly bet him that the losing team would wear the winning teams color to church the following Sunday. Easy enough bet, the TarHeels would never lose to the Terps. She anticipated that first game much like a child anticipates Christmas morning. She drank diet Mountain Dew to handle the late game, got her homework done early and settled in to watch the game. Uncle Aaron came over with an unexpectant heart. He took her jabs, insults and harassment with grace. He laughed with her and stayed to the bitter end when his team got their butts kicked!
Aaron led worship the following Sunday with his Carolina sweatshirt. He looked GOOD to say the least. Molly was mad, he should have worn the pj pants and scarf....she laughed, she mocked, she took pictures....she is a GREAT winner.
Over the next 2 weeks, she told everyone about how funny it was and how she couldn't not wait until Feb. 22nd when he would have to wear blue again. Uncle Aaron dreaded the game and the Sunday that followed - he told her "Molly, I have a better chance at the game getting rained out than winning."
We had a party planned for the game but the stomach bug cancelled that....but the text messages flew from Molly's fingers during the first half. She laughed, she laid out his sweatshirt ...she giggled at the thought of him at church the next day.
Then I went to sleep - I woke up in the 2nd overtime. Things were ugly, the score was tied, Molly was mean and she was only receiving text messages - none going out.
The game ended her team barely lost but a loss is a LOSS. Her phone began to ring, Uncle Pete came out of hiding and Molly was in despair. She cried real tears, skipped dinner and laid in the fetal position for at least 30 minutes.
Come Sunday, she put on her Carolina shirt covered it with a Maryland shirt and headed to church. She fullfilled her bet...but it wasn't easy.
Molly is a great winner, a not so great loser and she got it all from her Daddy. I think he has never been more thankful for throwing up and missing church in his whole life!!!

3 comments:

Beau Leonard said...

One of the proudest moments of my life was last April during the disasterous Final Four game when I looked over at Molly and she was crying as her Tar Heels continued to fall behind Kansas. And now this. I was worried that this might happen as she continued to exude too much confidence about her team's prowess and the Twerp's ineptitude. She has learned the hard lesson of sports. Anybody can be beaten. I was proud that she lived up to her commitment and wore the Maryland sweatshirt, but I am more proud that underneath she protected her heart with her Carolina t-shirt. Molly, please realize that when we beat Maryland the fans quietly walked out of the building realizing that their team had performed as expected and beat a lesser opponet. But, when Maryland won their fans acted like they had won a championship. Of course, to most teams, beating the Tar Heels is the closest they will come to willing a championship!! GO HEELS!!

Anonymous said...

Molly,
Keep your head up! I watched your Dad do the same thing with the Heels!...in 1984 (the best Tarheel team to not win it all) The Heels played Indiana in the East Regionals in Atlanta the game was not on TV...I know it sounds crazy, but true. I strung a wire to the TV antenea so I could pick up Woody Durham on a station out of Ashville on to listen to the heels fall in Michael Jordan's last game everyone blew my phone up and I cried til it made me sick, missed school the next day...the sun came up tuesday and I put my Carolina gear on and went to school and took the abuse...I'm taking my son to his 1st Carolina game on Saturday(thank you gift from the guy that took the Carolina video job when I turned it down) Ryan has an Authentic Hansbrough Jersey that looks like a Prom dress(one of our former equipment guys is the basketball equipment guy for Carolina hoops got it for him) It will be my 1st game in the Smith Center! I have seen them at other places and was in Chapel Hill the Night they beat Michigan in '93. I can't tell you excited I am and how much I wish you and your Dad could be there with us. seeing a game at the Smith Center with your Dad ranks #2 behind seeing a Cubs World Series game from the bleachers at Wrigley with him. keep your fingers crossed Molly! with a little luck and some defense this next 6 weeks might be special!

Go Heels!
Brad

Anonymous said...

I can't believe my mother would do this to me - Saturday and Sunday were in the top 10 of the worst days of my life!

Go Tar Heels!

-Molly

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