The Cool Slide!

Last week after having lunch with daddy, I took the children to the playground near his job. We enjoyed swinging, sliding, and playing hide and seek together. I noticed there was one area where my 4 year old appeared a little hesitant to explore. There was a tall ladder that led to a slide he thought was really cool. However, he told me he was afraid to climb the ladder. At that moment, I told him I would stand near him if he wanted to try climbing the ladder to get to the slide. After a few seconds of thought, he agreed. As we walked over to the ladder, I noticed a serious, but confident look on my son’s face. He was whispering something to himself, but I couldn’t hear the words at that point. When we reached the ladder and he began climbing, he starting talking louder. He was repeating to himself, “I can do it!”

Just when I thought I was there to encourage him, he was really inspiring me. With each step he repeated, “I can do it!” As I watched him, I was reminded that with each stage of life & motherhood, there may be times of uncertainty, but I should always face them saying, “I can do it!” I was so proud of the posture he displayed while facing his fear. He eventually made it up the ladder and enjoyed the excitement of sliding down the “cool” slide.

Isn’t that how motherhood is? You face things that are scary or unknown in pregnancy and parenting, but realize on the other side of those experiences, there’s the “cool slide” of growing as a mother and a woman. The “cool slide” of learning how to give and receive unconditional love. The “cool slide” of learning how much God loves you through the experiences motherhood brings. It was also a reminder that although I’m the parent, there will be many times when my child is the teacher and I am the student. I am grateful for the lesson he taught me that day.