Wednesday, 26 March 2008 - Falls

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for falls.

Each forward step we take we leave some phantom of ourselves behind.
~John Lancaster Spalding

You can't fall off the floor. ~Author Unknown

Whenever you fall, pick something up. ~Oswald Avery

S, T and I finally have the chance to take M (our Air Force Academy cadet) to Red Rock Canyon where he rock climbs for the very first time. I am quite impressed with his performance. He does very well. In fact, M is a natural climber.

Over the years, I've met many people - mostly men - who are true natural athletes. They readily learn and master any sport they attempt. M is one of those gifted people.

I'm a little jealous, thinking about all the times my parents told me not to climb or attempt something because they were afraid I would fall or hurt myself. And, ever the obedient child, I complied.

"No. Get down from there before you fall."
"No. Don't climb up there because you'll fall."
"No. Don't try that because it's too dangerous. You'll get hurt."

My parent's words still haunt me whenever I try a new sport. Ah, the sting of bittersweet childhood memories. Sadly, I feel that my parents unfairly deprived me of valuable athletic experiences just because I was a girl. Or maybe they didn't understand the value of play, of falling down, of getting back up and trying again.

As an adult , I do whatever it takes to silence the parental no's. Especially with rock climbing where I joyously climb boulders and high rock walls and fall while learning a move or mastering a route. I actually fall a lot, especially while bouldering.

Falling. It's just part of the process. No matter the task. No matter the lesson.

I fall.
I pause, dismayed by the miss.
I slowly brush away the dust, lamenting my misstep, my mistake.
I examine the rock and mentally retrace the move I made.
I determine what I should have done to prevent the fall.
I try again.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.