I Quit!

I love Olympic Summers! I'm not an athlete but there's nothing like watching the Opening Ceremonies, rooting for your country and just cheering on these amazing and dedicated young men and women.

My first recollection on the Olympics was the summer of 1984.

I was almost ten and had been taking Gymnastics for about two years. I really was God awful at it, but I went once a week and even took more classes during breaks and summer.

But boy, do I remember the '84 Olympics!

I watched, with awe, as did the rest of the world, how spunky Mary Lou Retton broke records and won our hearts as she vaulted and tumbled on TV. I decided at that very moment that I was going to be an Olympian.

I wanted to be a gymnast and go to the next Olympics.

I told my parents and there was no comment. I told my Gymnastics coach and there was no comment. The Olympics ended and school began.

I continued with my Gymnastics classes and had to tackle the uneven bars one afternoon. I was awesome at the trampoline, but terrible at vaulting, bars etc.

So there I am with one leg on one bar and one on the other....hanging like a monkey on a tree. I couldn't flip over, couldn't get down; I was just stuck!

I knew at that point that I would never make it to the Olympics as a gymnast, or anything else, for that matter!

And so, I quit Gymnastics. I quit, but I wasn't a quitter.

It was my first life lesson in realizing that I may not succeed at everything, but the important thing is to try. And that's what I want my daughter to learn. She won't be the best at everything she does, but there's no harm in trying and deciding, on your own, if it's something you should pursue or simply let go.

I also don't want to be a pushy mom. If I see that she excels at an activity and, more importantly, likes it, I want to cultivate that. But, I don't want to force her to do it. I want her to enjoy life and enjoy her youth.

I think some parents are so obsessed with raising overachievers that they tend to forget those overachievers are actually children. Those years go by so quickly, we should savor them and allow our children to enjoy that time.

I'm not a quitter and I don't want my daughter to be one. I want her to pursue her dreams and excel at what she's good at.

What I don't want is for her to feel like she has to stick with something in order to please her parents. What I want is for her to be happy be it as a soccer player, harpist, painter, chef or ballerina.  

Life is too short. Let's stop and smell the roses....and allow our children to do the same.