This year has been a year of ups and downs for me. One minute I'm up and feeling things are going smoothly and the next minute I'm down feeling like life is throwing me too many curve balls. I'm sure many of you may feel the same way. For some reason this year has been more up and down than most.
As I look back I wonder if these really are curve balls or if this is life just throwing "balls" at me that are normal, but just more complicated as I get older. I feel like I'm a little kid learning how to catch a ball all over again. Am I suppose to put my arms out straight? Am I suppose to put a catchers mitt on? Am I suppose to catch it like a football, bounce it like a basketball or kick it like a soccer ball? Am I suppose to yell "Four" before I hit the golf ball, especially if I'm not even sure I'm going to hit it?
These are all the balls of life, parenthood and just plain being a person with a beating pulse.
I throw balls at my kids to learn how to catch all the time. We try to teach them how to kick the soccer ball, hit the baseball or even just throw a rock. Even skipping a rock across the lake instead of directly throwing it into the bottom floor. These are all difficult tasks to learn. And I think I just figured out that this is suppose similar to the "balls" of life that we as adults have thrown at us, too!
Do we get upset with our kids that they don't catch the ball? Do we get upset that they kicked the soccer ball into the wrong net? No. We laugh, smile and we even think how cute are they! What memories these special times make! Even the bad times where your kid may get a black eye because the ball actually did hit them in the face, ends up being good table conversation years later. It doesn't matter how they are playing, or if they did it perfectly, it only matters that they tried.
So, why do we have a hard time not putting pressure on ourselves to catch the "balls of life" that are thrown at us "the right way". Who said there was a right way? Just as long as we are trying and finding some sort of understanding out of the "ball" that was thrown at us. If it does hit us in the face, maybe we'll see how it brings us a nice memory or understanding later on.
I remember getting hit by actual balls lots of times. I never got a black eye, but I did see it happen to others. I was a gymnast and fell of the balance beam instead and got bruises. I ran races and got shin splits that made me cry.
Looking back, they were all similar to "balls being throw my way". I accepted all those hurts and struggles easily. What's so different about the hurts and struggles we go through now? They are just on a bigger scale. We are older. Life gets more complicated.
Life is going to throw lots of "ball" at us constantly. We throw them at our kids all the time! They don't always mind, and they usually think it's fun, because they are learning. Take the time to think of the "balls" that are thrown at you in your life at times. As long as someone isn't directly trying to hit you in the face, you might's well try to catch it or at least throw it back. Should we all just have all these "ball's and rocks" piling up around us? Not really. Jumping in a pit of balls is only fun if the pit is full of balls you actually want there. If you don't like the ones that people have given you, kick them back, maybe they'll even throw you a better one or a better throw next time! Just don't let it sit there. You may never come out of the ball pit alive if you let it suck you in!
This also reminds me or riding the roller coaster of life. We all are going to be on it, no matter how hard we try to not be. It has it's ups and downs. But who said cruise control wasn't an option? I'm pretty sure when I start feeling the ups and downs of the roller coaster, I feel like it needs to be full speed ahead to end the ride as fast as possible. Trying to get to the part where my heart isn't racing 100 miles per hour. I'm pretty sure this only makes my ride more nerve wracking and scary. Next time I think I'll ensure my cruise control is set! You have that option, too. Remind me to set mine and I'll be sure to remind you to set yours.
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