Gratitude Friday...

Teenagers wear me out.

O.U.T.

Out.

We are two weeks away from marching season being over.  At which time, there will be a slight bit of celebrating in the Evans' household.

There will be a celebration because we all survived an exhausting three months of hard work, long hours and time apart.  Yes, whether at the school or at home, sacrifices have been made.  

These sacrifices were important.  No, no one's curing cancer by marching and playing a trumpet at the same time.  

Although, those trumpet players...they are smart and cocky enough to do it.

But what the directors are teaching (or attempting to teach) are skills most of us need to survive this world.

Go ahead.  Pull out every word and motivational quote you equate with teaching.

Such as "there's no I in team."

Blah.

However, there is one trait I particularly love.

Servitude.

For every performance, each one of those 300 kids is rather dependent on each one of those other 299 kids showing up.

The only thing is they are tired teenagers.  

And sometimes, tired teenagers forget about how their absence effects their 299 closest friends.

So for the past week, the directors have been dealing with every excuse imaginable as to why some of these tired teenagers cannot attend the competition this Saturday or go to state contest next weekend in San Antonio.

Each excuse stuns me.  Like...really?  A concert?  A college football game?  Grandparents coming in town (and "they're old, Dr. Evans" was actually said out loud)?  

I remember being a teenager.  Not well, but I remember some.  I remember being certain everything was monumental.  

Every.  Thing.

Remember feeling all Allen Iverson about missing rehearsal.

("Man, we talkin' about practice!")

But I also remember being part of something bigger than myself.  And knowing, understanding, if I was not there, the whole suffered.

Because my parents taught me that.  The other kids in my band taught me that.  The directors and sponsors taught me that.  

So these teenagers Chris has are being taught that same lesson.  The directors are shaping the culture of this program to teach that.  

It's a big lesson.  To think of yourself as a small part of something much bigger.  

But once you get it...you get it.  

I am grateful Chris and other teachers are dedicated to teaching kids, including tired teenagers, these important lessons.  Grateful my parents taught me about commitment and responsibility.  Grateful my peers in band and dance team taught me accountability.  

And for those amazingly dedicated folks, we will celebrate much more than a successful band season in two weeks.  We will celebrate the lessons they taught us.