[ That's a soft, swallowed laugh and the tiniest shake of his head, Ma'am Delacroix.
It's not that he's never been paid them before, it just always seemed strange to him -- validation for things that he does because he was raised to give anything he believed in a hundred percent.
His personal principles are straightforward and simple: he went into football and was good at it, so he was dedicated to being the best player his team and his coaches could ever ask for; he got a baby sister and he decided when he'd peered over the rail of her crib that he would strive to be the best big brother and protector Cindy could ever ask for.
Now, he's a Keeper. He's just applying the way he's always moved. The field has changed, but his attitude hasn't.
If he was a little bit braver in your presence, he might tell you all of that. Six -- seven years ago, he might have. A lot's changed since. If he's honest, the compliments put quiet anxieties at ease in equal measure to the way they make him uncomfortable.
He shouldn't need validation. But lately, it helps. This year has been full of him getting in over his head with things that matter a great deal. ]
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It's not that he's never been paid them before, it just always seemed strange to him -- validation for things that he does because he was raised to give anything he believed in a hundred percent.
His personal principles are straightforward and simple: he went into football and was good at it, so he was dedicated to being the best player his team and his coaches could ever ask for; he got a baby sister and he decided when he'd peered over the rail of her crib that he would strive to be the best big brother and protector Cindy could ever ask for.
Now, he's a Keeper. He's just applying the way he's always moved. The field has changed, but his attitude hasn't.
If he was a little bit braver in your presence, he might tell you all of that. Six -- seven years ago, he might have. A lot's changed since. If he's honest, the compliments put quiet anxieties at ease in equal measure to the way they make him uncomfortable.
He shouldn't need validation. But lately, it helps. This year has been full of him getting in over his head with things that matter a great deal. ]