My son just turned 7 months. He’s on the verge of crawling and will most likely be taking off within the next month or two. He’s been practicing for quite some time now, but just can’t quite get the hang of it. With every valiant attempt, there is a face plant to some degree. My whole body cringes when he gets close to the hardwood floors….because he doesn’t have the best balance as of yet. But, before you know it….he’ll take off & never look back.
Spiderman, watch out.
You see, this is just the very beginning. From crawling, to walking, to jumping…it will all come and go so quickly.
Before you know it, they will be…
moving swiftly across the monkey bars,
challenging you to a race across the swimming pool,
shootin hoops in your front yard until the sun goes down,
riding their bike down the sidewalk,
ice skating with wobbly knees and arms straight out,
swinging their very first baseball bat,
walking across the ever so narrow balance beam,
attempting a 360 on that colossal ski hill,
slide tackling for control of the soccer ball,
going for birdie on the final hole of the golf course,
slamming into the boards during a hockey game,
all while…..making mistakes along the way.
They will come home with scrapes, bruises, pulled muscles, and broken bones.
They will come home discouraged with a large dent in their self esteem.
They will come home after investing a day’s worth of blood, sweat, and tears.
They will come home with a sense of defeat, often with their hopes deflated.
They will come home looking for your approval and acceptance.
But…when they do come home, it’s our job to tell them to get back up and try again. I will encourage him not to let the fear of falling get the best of him….
or allow the fear of failure to slow him down and hinder his dreams.
Throughout the course of his life, we will experience numerous falls, stumbles, and cringe-worthy moments….you know, the instances where I will put my hands in front of my face, peeking through my fingers, anxiously awaiting what is about to come.
Our job as mom isn’t easy. We will need to be prepared both physically and mentally… with ice packs, bandages, and an uplifting smile.
But most importantly, we need to be equipped with an unrelenting attitude full of high hopes. One that lets them know we believe in them and will stand behind their efforts, no matter what. I want Ethan to know that his mom will be his number one supporter, always.
Ultimately, I hope to teach him not to “play it safe” or stick within the confines of his comfort zone.
Some, if not many of you, have seen past clips of Proctor and Gamble’s Raising an Olympian Commercial. Well, they did a great job with their most recent one. I only hope I can have this much of an impact on my child someday.
When you find yourself on the sidelines or in the stands…..watching hopefully, cheering loudly, and rooting on your child….just know how proud and humbled you will feel to have the role of MOM.
What an inspiration we can be to our children…..to teach them that
“Falling will only make us stronger.”
