When God gave out talents...
Growing up, I was the type of child who was always into something, and thankfully, my parents allowed me to be so. I took all kinds of classes, sometimes with my sisters or my cousins, sometimes alone. I took up swimming, tennis, golf, even Tahitian dance lessons with the Aldeguer sisters (that was the "in" thing back then!). I enjoyed Dr. Aurora Roldan's Reading Dynamics classes, piano, computer classes (because computers were a new thing, yes, we had to take lessons!), cooking class, and (a secret I've been keeping all these years) I even took up voice lessons (just one session then the teacher gave up on me!) I remember just wanting to always keep myself busy, and tried to discover more about myself, what I enjoyed and could be good at.Through taking all these classes I learned to be more self-sufficient, resourceful, creative and sociable. Looking back, I was just really an average performer in everything (err, maybe a little below average when it came to the Tahitian dance lessons and voice lessons), which is why when I look at my eldest, Coby, I just am so amazed.Coby's first love is basketball. At the age of 1, he was dribbling the ball with 1 hand, could dribble even without looking, alternating from one hand to another. At 1 year old. Now at 13, he still plays a mean game and enthusiastically joins the leagues in summer to up his game.
At a Coach E Basketball Game
Through a program called Coach E, his skill level improved so much, he even got the chance to meet and play with NBA player, Tim Hardaway.
NBA's Tim Hardaway with my CobyCoby amazed us (and even himself!) with his basketball skill, when he played on a local morning show (Unang Hirit) and never missed a shot! I was taking the video so you won't see me with mouth wide open...wow. Watch Coby play:Three years ago, Coby joined the Fencing club in school, and we were happy because our friend, Coach Wawit Torres, the fencing coach in Ateneo College and SEA games medalist and former Olympian, would be able to guide him closely, in case Coby took a liking to the sport. At first I was skeptical and thought it would be a passing thing. Admittedly I was hesitant to buy all the equipment, but when I saw Coby in the uniform, I felt it could be a sport for him (it helped that fencing lamee just makes one look so regal.:)
Coby's early fencing days. Mom fell in love with fencing fashion:)Here's Coby during a bout. (Watch fencers in a bout and you'll realize that this is a sport that really requires concentration, strong legs, arms and feet, strategic thinking aka "diskarte", and courage (imagine getting poked in the chest by that foil!). Great, great training for kids!
At a fencing boutYou would think these two sports would be enough but then our son comes home from school last month to tell us, out of the blue, that he decided on a whim to try out for the Track and Field Varsity team in school and he just happened to get in. So now, Coby is into running and I have no doubt he will be good at it too.
Coby at the recent Mommy Milkshake runWhen God gave out talents, Coby was probably one of the first in line. Now comes the challenging part, as his mom, I pray I'm able to give him the right guidance and motivation to develop his talents fully, have a healthy sense of competition, and that he always finds joy and fulfillment in using God's gifts. And whatever happens, mom will be there in the sidelines with camera, Coleman and the best cheers all the time.