Enjoying The Ride

Every parent believes their child is special, that he or she is destined for greatness. We hope that our children will be better off then we are, that they will be able to provide more for their children then we are able to provide for them. We dream of their happiness and success. We pray that not only will they have more success then we've had, but they will find that success doing something they love and are proud of. Somewhere along the way, most parents neglect to prepare them for the bumps in the road. The times that aren't so happy or where they feel like they've failed to live up to the standards, that unbeknownst to us, we have helped them set for themselves.

I was reminded of all this Friday night. Ethan didn't win his race and that wasn't something he was prepared for. As is evident by the room bursting of trophies, defeat has been somewhat of a distant memory for him. He has forgotten what I have failed to remind him; win or lose, the most important thing is enjoying what you do. As I leaned over to explain that we don't take him to the races just to win, but rather to have fun, I watched the tears of defeat well up in his eyes and my heart broke.
If I can pass on any wisdom from this, it's to remember to teach your kids there will be times they lose, there will be times of sadness and frustration, and that's ok. What is important is the lessons those times teach us. Teach them to remember that the road will have bumps, but the important thing is enjoying the ride.

WE ARE ALL BORN ORDINARY; IT'S WHAT WE DO WITH THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD THAT MAKES US EXTRAORDINARY!