“Be quiet!”
“Shhh, you’ll wake the baby.”
We grow up with family.
We mature in school.
We share rooms and apartments with college friends.
Then a home with our children.
How often are we ever alone?
And what do we do when we are?
I wonder, what if we live a LOUD life?
Unafraid of our noise disturbing others.
How do we teach our students to be quiet in the classroom
But LOUD in life?
I am not a winning Coach.
The loss this weekend shattered me when, with good intention, my husband commented of the other team, “They were coached well.”
They were. It was the God’s-to-honest truth.
Their coach was intentional, level-minded and strategic.
His girls performed to his expectations without much fanfare.
Meanwhile, I’m looking my worst player in her eyes and telling her I see her.
I see her insecurities, worry and anxiety.
I know she doesn’t feel good enough and at the end of the day, I want her to feel, she’s more than good-enough. She’s her best.
It’s me.
I see me.
I was never good enough and all I ever wanted was for someone to tell me I was.
I am not a winning coach.
But to someone, I matter.
They matter.
“You’re not LISTENING to me!” she exclaimed.
The light switch went off.
I remember feeling that way, too, when I was her age.
Misunderstood.
Her father and I reviewed our game plan and saw no error.
And yet, that’s the funny thing about plans.
They’re just that.
Plans.
We had good intentions.
But so is the path to hell.
I showed my hands.
“Ok.” I said.
“Really?” she replied, in disbelief.
“Yea. We’re just here to support you.”
And maybe that’s all we ever need to hear.
New Leaf Parenting 