My little hero

I don't usually post two blogs in one day but something has been on my mind for a while and I think I need to make it known! I have a little hero that I admire. Someone who never ceases to amaze me with his courage and bravery. My son. In the past year and a half he and his sister have almost lost their father. They have moved to a new state for the first time in the US life and they have had to make all new friends and start their lives over. They have both been brave in this and have both earned my admiration. But my son has a few additional hurdles that have caused him to be set back in ways that would have daunted most adults. But he just keeps moving forward, stepping out and keeping his good attitude. He is in the situation where he gets corrected more than praised, often! I don't think I could stand up to the things he has been able to move through.
One example is hockey. When we were thinking of moving here to Alabama my husband researched hockey first. If there was no hockey league for 8 years olds then I guess it wouldn't work out for us. But we found one and so after being here about a month my son was signed up for one hockey clinic after another. He had never been on ice in his life.. Yet he stepped out onto that cold ice with a group of people he had never met, none who looked like him or reflected his ethnicity and he excelled. He did the same when he was signed up for a week long hockey (day camp) and he was the smallest kid there. He got plowed over by a kid who looked to weigh at least 200 lbs and he got up and kept on skating. He signed up and got ready for his first season and his dad had to travel out of the country during his first practice so I took him. He was new and not yet "in" with the other kids on the team and I felt uneasy about it. For his second practice his dad was back in town (3 days) and took him. He came home and we talked, he shared my concerns about the team and we worried. The next day on the phone we worried again about my son and all the challenges he was facing. Then that afternoon the accident.
My son sat out of hockey for a month. Then he started back just before the first official game. The emotion I felt when walking into that arena was so heavy it almost knocked me down. I felt I needed to run from the building. But my son went in and played a great game. Scored several goals and was named MVP for that game. He went on that season to help lead his team to the best record in that league. He was a top player. Made the all star house team. He had a very encouraging coach who never failed to pat him on the back and let him know how proud he was of him and he thrived on that. I had trouble going to the games all season because it was just too much for me. And I know my son had to feel this pressure too.
Yet this year, he suited up and started playing again. This time he was dealing with lots of emotional baggage from the summer and from other issues, but he was able to continue on. He is on a different team this year, different styles and he is struggling. He still has the talent and determination, but as I watched yesterday from the sidelines I saw him being corrected on his mistakes. I heard calls to other players about what a great job they were doing, but I didn't hear much encouragement yelled to my son. And he did more things right than he did wrong. With so many kids to help I know that will happen, but I also knew it could be very damaging to him. I expected him to walk off the ice dejected and ready to quit. But he came off with a smile, happy that they had won the game. He never ceases to amaze me. He is truly sent for a special purpose. He deserves much more than I can give him. I wonder how long he can continue with his good attitude and unbroken spirit. I know that age and life can take a toll. But I will try to protect him and continue to help him through life's experiences.
But I just wanted anyone who is reading to know he is my hero. And I should have shared this long ago.