It was Sunday morning and I decided to join my boy at his football class — just watch him play & interact with others.
As I sat on the bench watching people walk in towards the ground, I realised how strong our kids were. Mentally more than physically.
The rains had covered the place into a muddy slush. The ground looked clayey and more of a pond. The path that led to it no easier than that, with bricks laid out all wobbly and the mud that seemed it could take us sliding in no time…it made us all so nervous!
But not a single child, not one stopped, paused or wondered how they would get in, how they would play, if they would get hurt. They just took one step after another, a long stride and even a leap if needed. They were there and they were completely in the moment. They were ready to play and to do!
Instead, each of us parent slowed down, looked at the mess, wondered what the best way could possible be and even doubted our way in. Luckily no one fell. No one got hurt, but each of us were afraid of what could possibly happen. Each of us cursed the place and the situation. Each of us wondered why we had not cancelled.
I am not saying we must not be aware of the consequences of our actions or our situations, we sure must pay heed to them. But sometimes, we must follow our children’s lead. We must let the child in us take over.
We must just walk in through the puddles. Stride in through the wobbly spaces, run in confident to face the slush that life throws our way. We must take up the muck that comes with the ball… accept the mud that we must kick through to play the game we love. And we must, simply, trust our resilience and our family to take care of things if and when they go wrong.
And when we are willing to walk through the mud, and kick the ball & look past the mess — we might even score a goal!