Yesterday was the Hawaii State Championship Tae Kwon Do Tournament. I was scheduled to take Boy-A-Thon (BAT) and then leave to go to the Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii (CHOH) Conference. BAT had recently had a small surgery on his lip and was still a bit swollen and sporting stitches, so my main goal for him at the tournament was to not get hit in the mouth.
Fortunately, my goal was achieved, and even better, BAT won a gold medal in forms and a silver in sparring for his belt/weight division! It was exciting and nerve wracking all at once. I like forms (kind of a TKD ballet of sorts, to show the different moves one has learned). Sparring was tough to watch. It's really a fight with kicking. And watching two 14 year old boys who each weigh 130 pounds go at it, was not something I recommend for most moms.
My friend Chris was very involved in TKD. In fact, at this tournament last year, she won a gold medal, just weeks after having a lung removed and while undergoing chemotherapy! To show their love for her, the team of which my son is a member all donned blacked armbands.
Then, each medal winner donated his/her medal to be placed in a frame and given to Chris' family. These kids work and train very hard. For them to give their medals up, isn't easy, but not one kid hesitated.
As if I wasn't already emotional, there was an announcement that the tournament organizers had created a special award for the competitor that showed the most indomitable spirit at the tournament. That award will be given at each state championship and will be called the " award. I was bawling.
So, I decided to stay for the whole tournament and watch my son, instead of attending the CHOH conference and getting a shot in the arm to encourage me in my homeschooling journey. I'm glad I did. I'm also grateful for a fellow sister in Christ this morning who encouraged me that I did indeed do the right thing. It always help to get a second opinion. :-)
