Ugly.

My son had one of his biggest disappointment yesterday. It was painful just watching and listening to him recounting it. His swim team was disqualified.

He has been practising for quite a while and yesterday was "D" day at Shah Alam Aquatic Center. It was a relay race. He was on the first relay, his team was doing quite well. They were shouting and cheering with the propect of at least getting on the podium. Sadly, the last member of his team, stopped about 5 meters from the end, hence the team was disqualified. If that boy was to swim to the end, they would have at least finished the race. That was the main contention of my sons disappointment.

Can't blame the poor boy though as he says that he really could not do it, no more energy to be expanded to carry him to the end. He was crying, perhaps also feeling terrible for letting his team down.

I wished I could take all of their pain away, but then that will not help would it ? I realise that these boys will have to learn to face such situation and hope that it will make them stronger. I was also seriously contemplating to go and get the Playstation that my son have been asking for as a way of consoling him, but the practical side stops me as his exams is just around the corner...

He might not know this now, but I bear his pain equally if not more and there is just nothing that I could do about it. That is the ugliest part.