Our derby was originally planned to be held back in April. First, the Cubs received their car kits a little late this year, right before spring break (and we were mostly out-of-town). Plus, the week of the derby was also the week of the science fair, which Luke worked really hard on, as well as right at the end of our long visit with my family for my mom's birthday, so we really didn't have time to put a car together. Last year, while he was helping Josh make his last derby car, Adam also had made a car, just for fun. So when we realized we had a time crunch on our hands, Adam pulled out that car and Luke repainted it to his specifications, and we called it good. However, when the derby arrived, so did a snow storm, so it ended up being postponed. Instead of deciding to make a car in our bonus time, we moved forward with life and tucked Zewedge away until the rescheduled derby was upon us. So there it is.
Man, that car was a winner! Zewedge killed it in every race! Only one other car really gave it a challenge, but Zewedge inched into the win and came out victorious in every one of its races. Luke had won the 2016 Briargate Ward Pinewood Derby and he was over the moon! I think, at first, he was a little stunned that his car was so fast. But after the first few wins, he dealt with his success with class. He was a great winner. It was such a happy night for him!
Meanwhile, his buddy, Daniel, was really glum. His car had come in 7th, and he had really wanted one of the top-three trophies. While the rest of us were cleaning up, Luke noticed that Daniel was tearful and asked if he was OK. When Daniel told Luke why he was sad, Luke decided to give Daniel his trophy. It was so hard for him, he wanted his trophy, too, but he wanted to see his friend happy more. As clean-up continued, Luke came to me and said, "I'm ready to go." He was smiling, but it was forced and I could see big tears in his eyes that he was trying to hold back, so I could tell something was wrong. When he told me what he had done I was SO proud of him. What a hero, sacrificing his own happiness for a friend! However, neither Daniel's parents nor I were really comfortable with the arrangement. As Daniel's mom said, it doesn't mean a lot to have a trophy that was meant for someone else. In the end, Daniel returned Luke's trophy. Luke was glad to have his trophy back, but also still sad for his friend.
So Luke came up with a plan. On Saturday, he enlisted Dad's help and together they made Daniel his own trophy. Luke did most of the work building it and painting it, making it look great for his friend. At church on Sunday, Luke presented Daniel with his very own trophy, made by a friend out of generosity and empathy. Daniel was incredibly pleased! I love the look on his face in the photo. When Luke gave him the trophy you could see that it made him so happy. The whole affair was born out of kindness and my heart still warms just thinking about it! What a sweet boy and good friend our Luke is! He knows what true friendship and sacrifice for another's happiness is all about.
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