I won’t lie to you. Raising kids is a lot of work. Great meaningful work but also never ending. Sometimes I feel like I’m very negative because I keep correcting and correcting, encouraging and encouraging, just do a little more correcting. But I am coming to peace with all of that.
Raising kids is a lot of work but there is nothing like watching them grow.
My daughter rode a big horse this weekend. Ok, it was a big horse to me, based on how little my little girl looked on it, but technically it was a pony. But a really big pony, ok? She rode this horse in a competition and controlled it beautifully. She made mistakes and cried, but she didn’t see what I saw. It was unbelievable to see her learn and connect to horses and only after about a year or so. Absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to see where this will take her and us.
I am very excited about her riding horses because we always wanted her to find something athletic to do. She tried hockey, gymnastics, dancing, and soccer and although she enjoyed some parts of each, she prefers to draw and organize her room. She is not very competitive. Isn’t driven to win. She prefers to build and play instead.
But horseback riding is a whole different thing. It is athletic because those big beautiful animals can have a good and bad day like any of us. You have to relate to them and know yourself well in order to lead and take pleasure in riding.
My son has also turned a corner. I was so proud watching him last night as he dropped and got up, dropped and got up with far more intensity and purpose than he has all year. I encourage him a lot because he absolutely loves hockey and he is darn good at it.
I have my writing and my photography. I can have students laugh out loud in my classroom, and I want a bit of the same for my children. I try to teach them not to look too far ahead, and to focus on the task at hand instead. I teach them not to be a jerk. To help people behind you and not to get discouraged by the people who are ahead of you.
I love watching them grow. I can’t imagine more meaningful work.
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@fabuchao
