You'll Never Kick Alone

This morning, after our ward Christmas breakfast, but before my toddler threw up his orange juice, I discovered that my white taekwondo shirt was missing. I only wear it once every three months, for testing. And I put it right back. Or so I thought. It was not hanging up in the closet. It was also not on the closet floor (I know because I pulled out everything from out of the closet and onto my bed).

My son and I searched. No shirt. Son refused to test unless I tested too (he doesn't want to outrank me. Isn't that sweet?). Finally I decided I would take him there, help him warm up, and then test during makeup testing, hoping I would find the missing uniform in the meantime (it has evaporated! vanished!).

We arrived, a couple of minutes late, and I saw my good friend Shelley watching the end of the previous hour. And she graciously returned home and brought me her uniform, letting me wear it (and sweat in it too. She is a trooper.).

My son and I made it through testing; since we are the same rank, I never get to watch him perform. I just have to take his word for it that he didn't forget those outside in middle blocks on the last line of our form. Oddly, the shirt crisis made me more relaxed than I've ever felt before at a testing. I had already biffed that morning, big time, so even when I realized that I was messing up my kicking combination wrong, I did not get flustered. I just fixed it. Wearing Shelley's shirt. If it weren't for that shirt I would have been on the sidelines.

Tae kwon do is an individual sport--we practice and progess as individuals. But there's a large network of people that make our performance and progression possible. In my case, I am indebted to...

*Master Sorenson and Instructor Brown, for their patient teaching (that form. It took me forever to learn that crazy form.);
*the supportive members of my class--we all cheer for each other;
*my husband, who encourages me and earns the money to pay for classes (and, um, a new uniform);
*my son, who thinks I am cool because I learn taekwondo with him;
*and, of course, to Shelley.

Testing is a good time to acknowledge everyone who has helped make achieving this new rank possible. When I look into the faces of everyone at testing, from the spectators to the instructors to my son, I know how much they want me to succeed, and I appreciate that support. Thank you.

(and now I have a good excuse to get a new uniform.)