I love watching my girl. I love watching her get ready in the morning. I love watching her play with her friends. I love watching her concentrate when she’s trying to do something difficult. I’m sort of that creeper mom who is obsessed with watching her kid grow and learn and explore the world around her. My daughter is eight and I love this age because she’s becoming so independent and learning to do things for herself, and she’s getting really good at it. Al
most too good! She’s at the age where she’s a sponge and learns so easily, but can also apply what she learns and execute with ease. Things just come naturally to her.
One day I asked her, “If you could do anything today, what would you want to do?” Her response, “Rock climb.”
My initial thoughts were Really? Out of all things? I’d choose something different, but this is her passion. She LOVES to climb. The first time she climbed was in Tennessee. Once she did it the first time, she was hooked. That’s all she wanted to do.
I noticed after a few times of taking her to UpTown Climbing in Baton Rouge, that it wasn’t just something “fun” that she liked to do, it was her passion. This is something she not only loves, but is really good at, and she has the drive and motivation to keep improving. It’s the challenge that she faces with herself to reach a higher point every time she goes up. It’s the challenge that she faces gaining strength in her arms and legs to reach the next step. It’s the challenge of competing with herself to become better every time she climbs.
And I LOVE that she entails these qualities through climbing.
My job as her mother is to nurture this passion of hers and to not just see this as something “fun” for her to do, but something that she can grow and blossom in. Watching her climb is so inspiring to me. When she reaches her limit and knows she can’t go any higher, she falls, and gets right back up and tries again. And every time she goes back up, she gets higher than her previous climb.
Seeing the impact this sport has on my child drives me to help her pursue this passion of hers and nurture it in a way that makes her never want to stray from it. No matter what is going on in her life, her passion is something no one can take away from her. I want her to have something that makes her feel alive and safe and whole again when the world seems to beat her down.
Notice your kids’ passions. Watch them. Observe them when they are not only having fun, but really immersing themselves in whatever they are doing. Maybe your child’s passion is art, or sports, or acting, or serving. It could be a myriad of things that could make your child light up on the inside. Help nurture that passion and really drive them towards it because THAT is what leads us to our ultimate purpose in life.
