Happy Tuesday!
On Saturday, Lauryn and I were at Ashbridges Bay for a beach volleyball tournament. It was a great day to be an observer… the skies were blue and there was a light breeze blowing that you could feel when you were standing in the shade. I think Lauryn and Delaney, her beach partner, would have preferred a little less sun and heat but they’ve also played in less ideal conditions… horizontal winds, rain, and cold!
They had a great morning and won their pool matches with a consistent level of effort and performance. I found the afternoon to be significantly more stressful to watch… and, upon reflection, it had everything to do with the girls not consistently playing to their potential… for example, winning one set by 11 points and then turning around to give their opponents a 10-point lead in the second set.
My perspective on the importance of winning a game or match is sincerely influenced by our journey… it is NOT the end of the world to lose… in fact, you can walk away from a lost match with real satisfaction if you have played as well as you can. So, why did I find it so stressful to watch the girls struggle?
Well, I think it’s because a huge proportion of our actions, as parents, is fuelled by our desire to help our children achieve their full potential, whatever it may be! This parental focus makes it difficult sometimes to separate the moments from the larger goals!
And thinking about the stress I felt over relatively meaningless volleyball matches, got me thinking about how consumed I am by thoughts and concerns around Cailyn’s ability to achieve her full potential. In fact, it is so consuming, that I don’t even comprehend when someone is actually asking about MY health. Twice within the last week, I have had two different people ask me how I’m doing. I immediately started speaking about Cailyn because the challenges she continues to face are always uppermost in my mind, and preserving her potential is one of my greatest goals. It wasn’t until they asked me when my next MRI/check-up is, that I understood they were actually asking about me.
I know I’m not the only parent focused on my children’s potentials, whether it be related to their health, or academic and social success, or athletic performance. That being said, I am hopeful that the next time I watch volleyball, this insight will remind me to keep everything in perspective and just enjoy the moment. As it turned out, Lauryn and Delaney came home with the gold medal. They persevered and competed with grace, focusing on the larger goal. 🙂 !!