Making the Goal

Isaac and his sweet friend Marissa

Riverton High School's girls soccer team lost last night.  And it was a heart breaker.  Unless you were on the Davis High soccer team.  The irony of the fact that I am writing about girl's soccer is not lost on me.  The last soccer game I remember attending involved me offering my daughter a dollar to kick the ball.  Not to score a goal, just to actually touch the ball.  I still have that dollar.  My oldest son, Isaac hated the sport until last year when, for some inexplicable reason he became Riverton High School's girls soccer team's biggest fan. (Ok, there's your explanation: GIRL'S soccer team)
Riverton had an awesome season this year, with high promise of going all the way to State.  But last night's game was rough.  Still they pulled through to sudden death overtime.  I won't go into the technicalities since I will just sound like a fool, but I know this; it came down to one last shot at a goal.  Isaac's sweet friend Marissa was up.  According to Isaac, she played her heart out and had a great game, but the goal just didn't go in.  Sometimes that happens.  She was devastated.  I'm sure the weight of the team and the season felt like it fell squarely on her shoulders at that moment.  I wasn't there, but the scene breaks my heart just the same.  I don't know Marissa well enough to tell her what's in my heart and I'm sure her parents are on it, but I can't get her off my mind today.
You see, Marissa is one of Isaac's favorite people in the world.   When he was in a scary car accident last spring, it was Marissa he called when he got home and needed to process the whole thing.  She talked to him at 11:30 at night to calm him down.  When he is feeling grumpy or out of sorts, I often find him texting Marissa to sort things out.  I don't know what she says, or if just listening and not saying anything is her trick, but her influence for good with my son is so appreciated.  Isaac loves that she will listen and is always kind and positive- to everyone.  He doesn't give a lot of specifics on why he thinks she is such a great friend, just that she listens and is so kind.  Or as he puts it "One of the coolest people I know."
So the good news today is that there is a beautiful teenage girl out there who didn't make the goal last night, but she makes the goal in life every day.  And that's the one that really matters.