by Holly Simon from Chicago Parent.com:
The Oak Lawn Special Olympics Basketball Day has to be one of my favorite days of the year. Not only because my youngest son, Nathaniel, gets to play basketball with his friends, but because I have the chance to watch an amazing team of young athletes grow and learn together.
My son, 10, started with the Junior Jordans when he was 8. Not only could Nate barely hold the ball, but dribbling down the court was an impossible feat. Now one of my greatest joys is watching him dribble the ball all the way down the court with a smile on his face that reaches from ear to ear.
I am the proud mom of five kids. I have been to countless games. From basketball to rugby and a decade of volleyball. But on this day, everything you may have thought about winning or losing goes right out the door.
This day is about happiness. It's full of pure radiance from a child who can barely walk but gets the ball in his hands and guards it with all his might. It's about the child that was lifted over his head by a coach just to make a basket. It's about teamwork where an opposite teammate shields a smaller child from getting blocked. It's about acceptance, awareness, love, excitement and pure, raw pride.
