Walls

I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be. - Ken Venturi

An old stone wall behind our house

"It is like a splinter...it hurts when its in, it hurts when you pull it out; but, when it is out, you feel a lot better," my son said to me just as he was crawling into bed.  He had been upset at his grandfather throughout the day.  Whether or not the reason was legitimate, does not matter.  What concerned me was that he was unable to talk with his grandfather and share with him his thoughts. He felt stuck and trapped.   As I watched him go through his process during the day.  I thought of all the many  times I had felt cornered by life, feeling unable to address situations. For me, it took a long time to realize that there are no walls that can not be crossed...you just have to be creative (though, the creative bit can be the hardest part ).

So, in light of my son's frame of mind, I told him that we were going to talk to his grandfather.  My son was not impressed....and said, "No."   But he did finally come around...find his voice...and speak.  His grandfather listened and had comments back.  Honestly the conversation did not have a storybook ending, and even that is alright.  To me, I was so proud of my son.  It is hard to stand up for what you think is right. It is hard to have faith in your own voice and know that what you have to say is important.  For all of us...we need to realize that the power to change our lives and our situations....lies in our own hands...and that is the important lesson that he learned today.  So today I smiled...