“How did mock trial practice go?” I asked my son, a freshman in high school.  It was about 9 pm, and we'd just picked him up from school.

“Bad.  I didn't make the team.”

“What?”

“I got cut.  Yeah, AND they let me sit through two hours of practice without telling me.

***

Argh.

I have to admit that my husband and I were a bit surprised.  But, I am, after all, the mother.  I recognize that the tryout may not have gone as well as David thought. Not making a team happens.  He may have even gotten an e-mail telling him he hadn't made the team.

But because of how the parents in charge of the mock trial program handled this, he's not so sure he'll try out next year.  That's a shame, because he's quite articulate, and mock trial is something he thinks he could do well.

David will no doubt be fine.

But here's what I need to remember.

As adults and as parents, we wield tremendous power over the children in our lives.  Just a few words of encouragement may mean the difference between a dream dashed or a leap forward.

I'm occasionally guilty of the former, but I long to always do the latter.

What about you?

Can you remember when just a few encouraging words from a parent or adult made all the difference?