#winning

Charlie Sheen has made the word “winning” trendy again.  Of course, with him, it’s an oxymoron.  Can’t say anything he’s done lately could be considered winning. He’s the love child of a car wreck and a train wreck.

But enough about Sheen. Lord knows the man has gotten enough free publicity.  No, my son really learned what winning was about today. Thankfully it did not involve Tiger Blood or Adonis DNA.

Tonight was his school’s award night.  And he did not win one. It was his last chance — and he walked out of the theater empty handed. And disappointed.

As we drove home, I asked him what had happened earlier that day.

“I got the Arrow of Light.” he said quietly.

The Arrow of Light. The top award in Cub Scouts. An award that took two years of hard work to earn.

“I understand why you are disappointed,” I said.  “Trust me. It would have felt good to win a trophy tonight.  But you did something today not many kids do: You set a goal, worked hard for two years and achieved it.”

He got quiet as I continued.

“I would have been happy and proud of you if you had won for your work.  But what you did this afternoon REALLY made me proud.”

The fact that he had set a goal and achieved it made me swell with pride.

As we drove toward the house, I hoped he realized that winning isn’t just getting a trophy or being famous on TV. Sometimes setting a big goal and achieving it is one of the best wins of all.