I have a younger brother- he gets under my skin in mere seconds but boy I'm one proud big sister. It's funny because no one can put me in a bad mood faster than that 18 year old kid but he will never ever know just how much I respect his opinion. One of my greatest and kinda secret desires is for Michael to think I'm 'cool'. This last weekend I was able to attend one of his High School basketball games.
Watching Michael play is more exciting to me than any college or professional level game. I'm so emotionally invested in the handsome young men on the court. These boys now tower over me but it hasn't always been the case. I've watch the same group of once little kids run up and down a court since they could dribble a ball. I've always liked going to games and missing an entire season made me feel more homesick than most things while I was on a mission.
To help put things in perspective there are a few background details you should know.
It was Mom who told me about how the bottom of every pair of his basketball shoes have a sharpie written "MTB" on the bottom. She asked him one day why that was.
His response...
"Make Them Believe."
He reminded her of the time in the 7th grade he was placed on the "B team". It was that year I remember him spending hours a day at the church by himself shooting. Michael isn't the tallest or the fastest. He is athletic but doesn't have NBA future skills. What he does have is determination and the best attitude I have ever seen. He told my mom that his goal starting then was to 'make them believe' that he could do it. He could be the kind of player he needed to be to succeed. His hard work has been consistent since.
High School sports are hard. Athletics can teach us such great lessons of dedication and hard work but never did I put the kind of time or energy into running. Maybe it is because Michael loves it more but I think a lot of it has to do with the person he is.
He is the youngest and always expected to be the fun one or the funny one or responsible or is compared to his older siblings or expected to be a certain way as the Stake President's son. He is going to High School in an environment I believe is far worse than even just a few years ago when I was there. I consistently hear about him leaving parties or being the one to hold his peers to higher standards. He isn't a glory seeker- not socially or athletically. He is just good.
I watched him this last weekend walk to the middle of the court as a captain. Both teams were still warming up and almost no one watched him and his best friend shake hands with the refs but my heart skipped a beat and I thought
"Michael.. I believe"
He may still be working his tail off every day to make his coaches believe with every minute he gets on the court but he could not play another minute all season and the effects of what he has done thus far would be immeasurable.
He inspires me not only to dream but to do something about those dreams.
#12
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