Proud Mom

Walter and I headed to Houston on Sunday to watch the Beer/Bike make up race. Heavy storms the week before pushed the race back a week and a day. Possibly because officials didn't want to create back-to-back imbibing weekends (I understand the fans wake up around 5:30 in the morning to get a jump start on alcohol consumption. Now that I know that I am doubly thankful that Davis is and always has been a rider and not a spectator) the race was downsized.

I forgot to take a camera (and binoculars), so all I have is a couple of fuzzy, up-close shots taken with my phone before the race ("cheerful Davis" and "pensive Davis"):



Unfortunately for Will Rice, after the race Davis had a lot more reasons to look like the second photo than the first. The team rode well, but had a hard time overcoming a couple of race day problems that popped up.

Why am I proud, despite the loss?

If you know Davis, you know that he can be very competitive. He really likes to play games and he really likes to win. When he was younger, he could be an unbearable winner and a sore loser.

After the race, Walter and I watched as he comforted his teammates, gave them encouragement, and congratulated the Will Rice women who had won their race. He walked from person to person, giving out hugs, shoulder squeezes, and at one point sat down cross-legged in front of one discouraged team member until he cajoled a smile out of him.

I knew all he wanted to do was go off by himself and try to forget about the loss.

But he didn't. He stayed and did all of his team captain duties. And if I were honest, I would tell you that most of the time he met the dejected looks of his team mates with a countenance that looked a lot like the first photo above.