Saturday, January 27, 2018
The first time I ever beat my uncle Hani in ping pong. I was young, maybe 13, and he always killed me with his spin. I always lost except to those younger than me (sorry malek and mark) even though I was starting to get better. And as usual, Uncle Hani, was beating me by 10 or more points..untill I started making a comeback. First he missed a couple, then I made a couple good shots, even for me. The next thing I know we were tied 18-18. My confidence was extremely high as we traded good shots 20-20. I was playing out of my mind. I won the game on a lucky point and raced upstairs to tell all my cousins and kept talking about it through dinner and even dessert (becuase that's what we do on Thanksgiving). I thought he was quiet about it becuase he had been beat. But I realized when I got older (and I was actually good at ping pong), that he let me back in the game. He wanted me to win or come close. He never said it or acted like it. He wouldnt dare tell me or let me in on it becuase that would crush my confidence. In fact he disguised it brilliantly so I could have a moment at his expense. Of course the next time we played he crushed me (becuase that's what we do), but I carried that confidence of the possibility of winning always. When my kids were old enough to play at 12 or 13, I had to disguise some games to keep them close and keep their confidence up. Nowadays, I am hoping my kids let me win. Thank you Uncle Hani for your big heart, your brilliant mind, your wonderful sense of humor, and the lesson you quietly taught me that day.
