Home Run

After much family discussion, we decided to sign Kiera up for softball this year. I have no idea how it will turn out, but we are excited to see what happens.

Kiera is thrilled to learn something new. The hardest part for her will be getting discouraged if she doesn't pick it up fast enough. She tends to be harder on herself.

Well. Shoot. As I typed that I realized that sounds very familiar to someone else in our family. I hate those self-realization moments... Let's just move on.

Saturday, we were in Abilene visiting Aaron's sister. We decided to stop in Academy to look at their softball gear.

The first stop were the softball gloves. There was a little bit of deliberation on color and size before the perfect glove decision was made. From there, Aaron and Kiera moved on to the bats. I watched from the sidelines as Kiera held different bats, swinging them lightly to test them.

I glanced away about the time I heard Aaron exhale loudly. Turning back, I watched as Kiera giggled and Aaron held his stomach, attempting not to laugh. That was the moment I decided I was perfectly content to stand five feet away from wayward bat swings.

As I watched them, a young lady walked directly behind them. She was dressed in softball attire, hair pulled back in a ponytail.

She looked over a couple of items on the rack behind Kiera and then turned to walk by me.

"Kiera." I stated quietly. "That lady plays softball."

The young woman turned at my voice. She smiled at me before glancing at Kiera. "This is her first year playing softball." I explained to the young woman.

"Really?" She responded. "What group?"

This being my first year with softball, I stumbled for the correct answer. "She will be in 10U."

She nodded her head in acknowledgement and turned her attention back to Kiera. "Are you excited?" She asked.

Kiera nodded before quietly replying, "Mom and Dad said I have a really good arm."

The young woman smiled at Kiera. "I'm a pitcher."

Kiera's eyes lit up and she began to relax.

The young woman continued. "Don't worry if you mess up, you get another chance. Keep your head up and don't get down. Remember to talk to your teammates."

I watched as Kiera listened to her with admiration on her face.

"You'll do great." She finished as she stepped forward and held out her fist for Kiera to pound.

I don't even know if I thanked her for her words of wisdom. We say things like that to Kiera, but sometimes, coming from someone you don't know, it just clicks.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't always heed that advice as an adult... and I'll go ahead and admit that writing this has been a little eye-opening for me as well.

It was an amazing moment, watching this young woman interact with Kiera. Encouraging her, treating her as an equal, and showing her the bigger picture in just a few short minutes.

That kind moment that she took to help Kiera overcome her fears, not only meant a lot to Kiera, it also meant a lot to us.

We are looking forward to Kiera's new adventure, learning how to be a part of a team, and maybe one day Kiera will be passing on advice just as that young woman did.

Rowonna McNeely her husband, Aaron are regular volunteers in the community, and have their hands full with their daughter, Kiera, along with three dogs and one cat.

Thank you for sharing in our weekly journeys. If you have missed any of our past stories, check out our blog page at www.lifea2k.net or drop us a line at lifea2k@yahoo.com.