That’s my kid. The tall one that you’re non-whispering about on the sidelines.
Who is that kid? He’s so tall. He must be too old for this league.
Let me assure you that he is not some interloper brought in from a different age group to crush your small children’s dreams of sports glory. He has not been red-shirted so that he can be the biggest, strongest seven-year-old in the league. He’s not vicious or dangerous and he’s not some genetic freak that we keep locked in the closet and unleash on game day to trample and destroy unsuspecting second graders.
He’s just tall.
I know he looks like he could eat your kid for breakfast. But he won’t. He happens to be one of the sweetest, kindest kids that I know.
We did not lie about his age or doctor up his birth certificate. We are not trying to pull one over on the entire sports community. We don’t harbor dreams of college scholarships or professional sports careers.
Before you point out to me how tall he is, let me remind you that this is not news to me. I make the meals and enforce the sleep and scoop the ice cream and provided half the genetic matter that makes his tallness possible.
I buy the pants that he outgrows so rapidly. I replace the shoes that only last a few months. I launder the socks that swath those sweaty, stinky, man-size feet.
It might be news to you that he is tall, but it is not news to me. So excuse me, if I don’t find his tallness quite as unbelievable as you do.
In fact, I would really like to know. What are you suggesting exactly? Because your insistence in pointing out his tallness makes me pretty uncomfortable. It seems the underlying message is he shouldn’t be here. He’s not like everyone else. There’s something not quite right about him being so damn tall.
Is that what you mean? Or do you like pointing out the obvious? That kid has brown hair. That kid is wearing pink. That kid is running.
Next time you see a tall kid, maybe you’ll think twice about opening your mouth and stating what is perfectly clear.
Because I can guarantee that he and his parents have figured it out.
He’s tall.
When Kaly doesn’t have her nose in a book, she wrangles and referees two elementary age boys and blogs at kalysullivan.com about her often humorous efforts to lead a mindful, connected life. She’s the co-founder of Harlow Park Media and recently authored a book about relocating with kids which will be available as soon as she can decide on a title. Her writing has appeared on elephant journal and Mamalode.