Levi is juking defenders on the field.
Eva is cozy in the only shady spot within 500 feet of the football field. She and I enjoyed the shade, though, eating through most of the snacks and water that I figured would be for Levi on that 88 degree day.
So much fun were Eva and I having that she tossled my hair and asked to take my picture. Seems like the tossling only served to make the picture appropriate for either a picture to promote my keynote address at a somewhat laid back function, or a missing persons notice. Perhaps displayed on the 10 o'clock news with Marvin Bartlett. Although I Marvin would ask Erica Abe to deliver story, on account of him likely being choked up - him knowing me, and all.
The more interesting pictures are the ones of those Peloza kids. They are important because they both showed something very special this week, both in athletic pursuits. First Eva. She attends her first marathon gymnastics practice, and feels tentative to say the least. Not participating, feeling very left out and vulnerable, with a lower level of ability than many of the peers in the class who have also had the week prior to form train together, bond, etc. After being called to come in, Eva and I had a watershed moment. She found her inner strength, put on the face of a champion, and jumped back into the fray, excelling, picking up her trampoline back handspring within 2 days. That night I was so proud of her for sticking with it. She really does have a strong heart, and is coming into her own this summer.
Next was Levi at his testing for a senior brown belt (spoiler alert: he passed). First he did the form with a small mistake the first time and was the only one of four people on the floor who had to do it a second time. Despite that pressure, he did it perfectly and moved on. Watching him do it reminded me of the effort he put in during the prior weeks. Later he was changing out of his sparring gear, with only board breaking left to conquer. As I helped him with his gear, he took off his headgear and I saw the most mature-looking version of Levi I gave ever seen. I saw him as a 20-something year old man and I was incredibly moved. He cooly responded "I know" when I said he only had the board breaking left.
Board breaking is where things got interesting. First attempt with his left hand. No break. First attempt with his right hand, no break. Second attempt, left hand... break. Second attempt, right hand... no break. One chance left on his right hand. Not breaking meant he would need to re-try a few days later and, possibly, have to repeat all of his preparation and repeat senior brown testing at the end of the summer. The entire place, several dozen people including other students, parents and instructors were all watching him and he knew it. I could tell he knew the tension and reality in the situation. He would later tell me he was repeating to himself "you can do it, you can do it..." He also confided that he sort of crossed his fingers a bit. Third attempt. He bows in, stating his name and hearing the instructor call out the last attempt. Third attempt...break.
I have never experienced a feeling quite like the one I had after that break. Both kids have made proud many time before. But this combined with the experience a couple days earlier with Eva, I had trouble containing myself at the moment the board finally snapped. I had something in my eye. I thought back to the many times that nana told me that she hopes these kids make me as proud of them as I made her proud of me. Although they had many times before, this week was special. Writing this now, several days later, I am again welling up with pride at both of these kids and fear that these words, read many years from now, will not fully articulate the emotions I am experiencing. But I decided that, if not the words, at least these pictures would serve as good background stock for the first half hour of the ESPN 30-for-30 episode that will be created. Naturally, it will be titled Those Peloza Kids and recount the incredible rise of these two children. Hence the title of this entry.
Equally important to the achievements in athletic pursuits (or, more to the point, the mental components of their athletic pursuits) is the growing bond between Levi and Eva, here out celebrating after Levi's test with some tic-tac-toe at dinner.
With the busy schedule we went out more than a couple times, which gave us the chance to play life-sized Connect4 (Levi's in the porthole, so to speak) and make a new canine friend.
Back at home with our own canine companions, I capture one of the rare photos that is deserving of a specific title: "My Protector."
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