We had planned for a musical evening at Mrs. Bradley’s place to celebrate World Music Day. It’s been long that we didn’t spend time listening to Mrs. Bradley playing the piano. All of us were enjoying ourselves and having a nice drink. Old songs, great food, and dimmed lights – it was a perfect evening!
After Mrs. Bradley was done we all got up to applaud and cheer. “Wow! Beautiful! We loved it so much!” We all said. Aaliyah, Donna, Kate, Megan, and May went and hugged her. May could relate to her school days when her music teacher used to give her lessons. She got so nostalgic!
Our favorite, little Jane was also there! But, she was a little quiet. Very unusual of herself! I got up to get myself a slice of pizza and then went and sat beside her.
“Jane, what’s wrong? Is anything bothering you?” I asked. “I lost the dance competition at my school. Our group didn’t win! And, because of this, I won’t be able to go to the inter-school competition! I so wanted to do that! But, our group has been eliminated!” She said.
I offered her the slice of pizza but she was too upset to take it. Then I looked at her and said, “Jane, it’s okay if your group couldn’t make it. Sometimes we win and sometimes we don’t just to learn more. That’s the essence of both competition and life. Yes, we do feel bad but we must enjoy trying and taking part!” I expressed.
“Yes, I feel horrible. We rehearsed a lot. But, now for this year, it’s all over!” She said.
“Look, tell me one thing! Did you enjoy your rehearsals and the team spirit?” I asked.
“Yes, very much! We looked forward to it and all of us were dedicated to winning,” She answered.
“Then that’s precious! Winning is not the only thing that matters. The team spirit, consistency, and hard work of everyone matter too! Irrespective of whether you win or don’t, you’re learning and the bond stays! You see that’s a lot of an achievement!” I expressed.
She smiled and nodded. There was a pause. Then looking at me she said, “Yes, you are right! I enjoyed and loved dancing with them. We will try harder next time and win!”
“Yes, that’s the spirit! Now come let’s enjoy the food and music!” I said and offered her the slice of pizza again. She smiled and took it this time. Then both of us joined the group in singing.
The experience of a journey and giving honest efforts is what we have in our hands – so it’s wise to focus on them. This way we win every time! Sometimes we don’t win the prize but a lot more! Things that are precious and will always stay close to our hearts!
