Emotional Rollercoaster

The last week and a bit seesawed between the sad and the joyful. It has been an interesting and somewhat challenging time, although as I write, I realise the emotional highs and lows might not be as apparent to the outside world.


Firstly, just over a week ago, we found out that one of the players in my youngest son’s football club committed suicide. We didn’t know him well. He played last year in the same team as my eldest son (who has moved to another town and changed clubs this year). He was one of the players we cheered from the sidelines. He was a good player, fearless and a hard worker. We would call out his nickname, encouraging him as he gave his best. He was 26, or thereabouts, and far too young to die. Apparently he had family problems, issues that must have become too huge for him to deal with. Even though we hardly knew him, his death made us all stop and think and wonder what could have been so difficult to bear and why he had no one to talk to.

On Tuesday my youngest son came home with an invitation to attend a Future Youth Leaders breakfast at a local tertiary institution. I am so proud of him. He has obviously proved to his teachers and mentors that he has the potential for leadership. What a wonderful thing for a mother to know!

Throughout this week and indeed in the last few weeks, my youngest son and I have been wrestling with the dilemma of which football club he should go to, or whether he should stay with the one he is with. It’s a bit complicated to explain here, but boils down to whether he should move to another club in order to play with his own age group, or stay where he is and play up a grade – potentially with adults. This is quite possibly the first time in the 10 years since I separated from my husband that I have missed having an adult male in my life to talk to, preferably someone who knows football. There are so many things to think about and politics in play that it has not been an easy decision to make.

Luckily my son put his leadership qualities into action and basically made his own decision, carrying two of his friends with him. I was amazed, still proud and delighted that he took it upon himself to source other clubs, talk to other coaches, talk to his teachers and his current coaches and finally weigh up the pros and cons after much deliberation. In the end he will stay with the club he is with.

Meanwhile my two older sons have achieved their own milestones. My middle son has finished the first year of his apprenticeship and moved into his second year. My eldest son has been learning to drive and race a horse. They both love what they are doing and, once again, I am so proud of them.

So, its been an interesting week and a bit. I wonder what next week will bring?