Tales of Yesterday

When our lovelies started standing, we pushed all the furniture in our home up against the walls. My hope? Minimize as much unnecessary bumps + bruises that happen when 2 wobbly heads + 4 squishy knees meet up with protruding corners and sharp edges.

But, like any 1-year-old sees it, furniture is the launch pad. It is how you pull yourself up…get some confidence…and eventually take off walking. You learn how to fall. And if that fall involves a crash landing that hurts, you figure out how to avoid it the next time around. And my lovelies' progress was no exception.

Fast forward 7 years.

Last night during dinner, one of these lovelies mentioned casually she was looking forward to her free day tomorrow on the playground.

"Free day?"

"Ummm…my friend gives me free days sometimes so I can play with the other girls in the class." 

WHAAAAAAAT?

Our evening came to an abrupt halt.

"You don't play with who you want every day?" we asked, me with a partial sob stuck in my throat.

"No…" Her eyes became teary, realizing something wasn't right.

And, in the moment, I wished for those long days where we watched our girlies contemplating + practicing with fierce tenacity how to stand. Because, at least during those "falls", the hurts were immediate. And quickly forgotten. Standing on your own 2 feet…standing up for yourself…well, it takes some navigation, doesn't it?

I took a deep breath last night {as I do}, and we did our best {it's all we can do} to explain WHY this "arrangement" was a problem. And we encouraged her to think of some solutions that felt better.

My hope? When she tries something different today {and I HOPE she does} — no matter how daunting it is standing up for herself — my lovely will discover {perhaps only a splinter's worth at first} her capacity to influence her own outcomes. First, on the playground. Next, in this world.

Because with anything we do in life, it usually begins with baby steps.