Gemotions

He’d imagined this moment a thousand times, and none of them ended like this. Now, standing outside the stadium, the news of his rejection still ringing in his ears, he saw his coach walking towards him. He braced himself for a platitude, but the coach instead gestured toward a nearby bench. They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the other players celebrate. Then the coach started a conversation. He spoke of the long hours, the disappointments, the dedication it took. He spoke of the importance of resilience. The coach didn't talk about getting the athlete to move on. Instead, he shared a difficult truth. He looked at the boy and said, "It's not easy, is it?"