A Mother's Pride

I am SO PROUD of Adlan today!! His team from St David High School won the State level Choral Speaking competition & they will be representing Malacca at the National level competition in July! For those who are unfamiliar, Choral Speaking is like Story-Telling but in a group of about 30 people.

Here's the story...

It could not have happened on a busier day. I had meetings fixed at 9am, 12.30pm & 4pm. & the host school is in Alor Gajah! Of all places, they have to choose a venue 40 minutes away from town! But I told myself I cannot miss his performance because his team has been practicing so hard the last 2 months & he is all excited about it! And this is the first time Adlan is representing his school for a competition, and surely I can't miss such an important milestone in his life!

So, I rushed in the heavy rain after my meeting in the morning & arrived at the venue, in time to see 7 other schools perform & in time to give last-minute good-luck-cheers to Adlan & his team-mates who were all nervous & excited at the same time. & then it was their turn...

Thank God I didn't miss it!

Their performance was OUTSTANDING! From the word go, they were all articulate, expressive & convincing! Their delivery & gestures were flawless. They told a story about Valentine's Day & the script was superb! The script writer & coach, Anna Nonis (who happens to be an old friend) did an incredible job. Thanks Anna! Adlan had some solo lines & he did extremely well. I was so, so proud of him. Miss Shik & Miss Ely, the teachers who accompanied the Team were beaming!

Their main contenders were Malacca High School & Convent. But everyone agreed that St David did exceptionally well & when they were announced as the Champion, everyone cheered! Adlan's team was hysterical & they were all screaming, laughing & clapping together! Adlan learnt an important lesson about teamwork & team spirit today, & that is truly priceless.

What I experienced today was something no one could understand, except for proud mothers who have gone through similar events. I felt so many feelings at the same time: I was apprehensive, nervous, excited, happy, surprised, proud, euphoric. I felt so much love & pride that my heart felt like it was bursting! Seriously.

I had a quiet chat with Miss Shik before the performance & she told me that there are a few students who were really hardy & always gave their best in every single practice & Adlan was one of them. My eyes were brimming with tears when I heard that.

As I drove (exceeding the speed limit) to my next meeting (I was late), I made a solemn promise to myself to take the day off to be with Adlan & his team when they take on Malaysia in July!

To Adlan, your team was FANTASTIC & really deserved to WIN! You were so wonderful & I am so proud of you darling.  By the way, you are officially forgiven for doing badly in your exam in March :-D 

Footnote: Anna told the team weeks before the competition: "Don't win because the others suck. Win because you are good." 

I thought that was a great advice!