Okay “shredder” might be a little extreme but our little one killed it on that mountain.
Often we observe how uninhibited children are; how they aren’t afraid of anything and are willing to take blind risks. And, obviously children are much more malleable and uninhibited than adults but they aren’t necessarily fearless. I know my sweet little one so well. I know she doesn’t do well with build up, anticipation or pressure. I know she needs to be eased into new things and can only absorb a few steps at a time. She likes to talk through each step in great detail, hear the facts, process them accordingly and then, and only then, will she let down her guard and embrace whatever lies before her. I love this about her. I love the way her mind works even though her process is often less than convenient. I believe wisdom is something one gains or achieves over time so I’m not insinuating my 3 1/2 year old is wise but I do think there is wisdom to be gleaned from her toddler state of mind.
Kevin and I are very in sync regarding our belief that our daughter must be willing to try new things. Whether it be a funky vegetable, lace up tennies or an outdoorsy sport, she needs to try before she can decide it’s not for her. And if she tries something and decides against it we can move forward from there. So what if she goes through life beet-less and in Velcro clad feet? If veggies that taste like dirt and tying shoestring bunny ears together aren’t for her then that is just fine.
It didn’t exactly start out magical but we were clear with Rubina that because she asked to ski she would need to follow through and put forth the effort in order to really see if she liked it. And so we talked and talked on that mountain about what was about to happen.She would need to wear the tight helmet and boots. She would need to trust in her daddy’s firm grip and all he had taught her. She would ski. And ski she did.
There were tears and apprehension but she took the leap and she loved it. I took notes from my super cool kid on that mountain. If you want to do big things the leap is inevitable. The leap must be taken. Leap! Go ahead, take a reasonable amount of time to work through your own personal process but then…leap.
Wildly. Freely. Purposefully.
I think you’ll find yourself saying what Rubina said after her first ever ski run, “I want to do that again!”.
written. 