Gymnastics Performance

I had the opportunity to watch the gymnastics performance of two little friends of mine today. It was fun and it was educational. The fun part had to do with just watching two little kids having a ball, doing something that they could both do well. They could both have done so much of what they did today, and more, long before they got there today. These are strong, physical kids. They have parents who provide them with a junglegym, trampoline and gymnastics lessons. They have what amounts to a park in their backyard. They are skilled and talented and its fun to do athletic things when you know how.

The educational aspect of the day was because while I don't subscribe to the notion that it "takes a village" to raise a child, it does take a bit in an investment on the part of others. There was an investment on the part of the gymnastics instructors. They taught these kids how to do the things that they did with love, acceptance and patience. They allowed the kids to use energy in a constructive and pleasant way, in a safe environment. There was an investment on the part of the observers of the performance. We all didn't know most of the kids in the performance, but we applauded and showed approval. That approval will go a long way in the esteem of most of these kids. But the best investment was made by those of us who consider us to be "long-haulers". We hope to be involved in these kids lives for a long, long time. We will be there for the good times and for the not-so-good times. We will watch them grow and learn and see life from their perspectives. My hope is that one day I will be able to sit with each of them, when they're in their 20s, and have a conversation built on love and history. It will be a conversation born of love, love for their parents and love for them; love because of who they are today and who they will be someday. It's better than having your own kids grown up, because you don't have to be involved in the disciplinary duties that go with raising kids. I just get to watch and smile and keep it all buried in my heart. I hope that I have as much of an impact on them as they have on me.