What Loss? Moving on from Failure

Monday Morning Match is a quick post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.

Sunday Night in Suburban Columbus

It was a fun cookout and pool party. The entire team was invited and all but one family made it. There were burgers and hot dogs on the grill and side dishes and desserts brought by the guests. There was plenty of cold beers, wine, margaritas and sodas.

The Sharks and their families were relaxing after a double-header on a very hot and humid July afternoon at the house of one of the team members. They have a pool so they thought it would be a great idea to gather after the games and enjoy some camaraderie and neighborly hospitality.

It was a great time and everyone had a blast.

The boys (and many of the other siblings) swam almost the entire time, taking a scant moment of time to devour some food and a quick beverage. They did convene a Whiffle Ball game in the front yard at one point…because what is a Midwestern summer party without Whiffle Ball?

The parents had a great opportunity to get to know one another beyond the ball field. We talked “outside the lines” with many people for the first time and really go to know one another.

We laughed boisterously as we shared stories about work and family and funny moments of parenthood and married life that only other parents and spouses could appreciate.

The funny part about this fun evening?

We got killed in both games of our double-header. I’m not talking about a close loss in each game. I’m talking about getting demolished by the two teams we played. We got beat so bad, the umpires invoked the “run rule” so it didn’t get any worse…in both games.

Some Days You Have It, Some Days You Don’t

We just didn’t have “it” today. We struggled at the plate, we struggled in the field. If something could go wrong, it did. If we had a chance to make something happen, we didn’t.

It just wasn’t our day.

You know what? When it’s all said and done, no one will remember the scores of those two ball games today. No one will remember who made errors or who struck out. No one will remember the bad calls by the umpires or the poor decisions made by the coaches.

What we’ll remember is the friendships that were made in that pool or during that Whiffle Ball game. We’ll think back to the night we shared burgers and beers on a back patio on a beautiful summer night.

We’ll be glad we had an opportunity to build relationships, solve problems and have fun.

What loss? We’ve got another game coming up on Wednesday!

Photo Credit: Derek Gavey via Creative Commons