Jeremy the Wrestler

Jeremy has started wresting season once again. For those of you who know Jeremy, you know that he is pretty darn competative. I mean that this boy has been known to be a sore loser and a sore winner in the past. Wrestling was really the worst sport for hiding this well known fact. In fact, when Jeremy was about 4 years younger, he was at a wrestling meet and lost. Tyler decided to keep the camera rolling throughout his 5 minute tirade where nothing and NO ONE could calm him down. It's was down right embarrassing and he knows it.

He started getting a bit better last year. In the beginning of the 2008 wrestling season, I noticed early on that when he lost, his anger really came to the surface. When his friends would try to console him - he would push them away - I mean physically not emotionally - and retreat to the hall where some poor sucker would follow him and recieve the haranging of his life! I worried about his future friendships. You treat people bad when they try to console you and pretty soon NO ONE will try to console you or befriend you.

So, as any good mother would do, I advised him - probably to death, but hey, that's what we do. I told him that his friends were trying their best to let him know that they still thought he was "all that" even though he lost. I acknowledged that with the personality that Jeremy has, he has to have some few minutes to get it together and that is best done in private. I suggested that he tell his team mates (before the next match) that if he loses, he needs to have a few minutes all to himself to gather his emotions. Please don't try to talk to me or follow me. I'll come back and be OK. Well, the boy took my advice and the season went on much better. He was able to deal with his little hissy fits by himself AND have friends thoughout the season. Good for him.

This year, I was concerned again. I mean, it's been a year since I doled out that great advice. Jeremy had a meet 2 Tuesdays ago up at Park Middle School. He was nervous and had a great deal of butterflies in the stomach to deal with. That started that morning before he left for school. The match went all 3 rounds. Basically 4 1/2 minutes of shear torture for the mom of the wrestler. I can hardly watch, but have to - you know what I mean? Anyway, he lost by points (the boy has never been pinned. He's too flexable. People shouldn't bend that way, you know?) It was heartbreaking. As the wrestlers came to the middle and the other boy's arm was raised as the winner of the match - that's when it happened. Jeremy was supposed to turn around and shake hands with the opposing team's coach, but he didn't. Instead, he lightly grabbed the shoulder of his opponent. Mykie was right next to me and I could hear her take in a sharp breath of air as we worried about what would happen next. But Jeremy actually stuck his hand out to shake the boy's hand and told him that he did a good job (I can read lips), then he turned around and went straight to the opposing coaches and shook each of their hands, then he went to his coach, shook his hand and asked him what he could have done better. Then (as if those miracoulous things were not enough) as he was getting on his sweats over his singlet, his friends all came over to console him and he just kept talking in reply and nodding knowing that it was alright. Then, (ok, I've said then about 100 times, but it just kept getting better) instead of having to have a moment outside, the boy sat back in the chair he was originally and cheered on the rest of his team.

Let me tell you, I was in shock and I must say I shed a tear or two. Mykie was as shocked as I (minus the tears). I immediately called Mike and told him that Jeremy had lost and it was the best match I had ever been to. Mike was kind of confused how that loss could make me so happy, but I tried to explain to the best of my ability. It was hard because I really was overcome with emotion of the growth that I had just witnessed.

Jeremy is really an awesome person. He really used to be so difficult for me to deal with. He just wasn't very easy going and I wasn't too bendable myself when it came to him, but every since the move to Kennewick and him being in 7th grade there has been some HUGE and GREAT changes and I couldn't be prouder to call him my son.

I LOVE YOU JEREMY! - Love yo mama!