And We Must Breathe

Ask any parent. Having children is a supreme act of faith. This revelation does not come easy to one who is particularly uncomfortable kneeling at unfamiliar alters. It hurts my knees. Yet there is no more durable truism.It starts with birth. The awareness of our own unique helplessness is overwhelming. We are a slave to our children ' s genetics, environment, and wholly uncontrollable luck. We skitter to command a million details to defray the constant anxiety of that which can ' t be governed. We worry, lose sleep, and panic till the day we feebly shrug our shoulders and accept. Then we defer to faith. Because faith is air, and we must breathe.As my daughter has grown, that faith has transferred from the intangible nebulous, to the burgeoning humanoid sprouting at my feet. A far more comfortable leap, a sense of control sets in. As parents, we can lead by example, teach, shape, and mold. Destiny has temporarily released her grasp. My daughter can learn not to climb on the hot stove, to look both ways before crossing, to stop, drop, and roll.So you would think it is the consequential stuff that I struggle with, but often the ephemera nips just as gratingly at my heels.A few weeks ago, my daughter informed us that she wanted to perform in the annual school talent show. Each year, we battle to convince her to play the violin, something she actually holds a sprinkling of talent for. Sometimes we win...
Source: In My Humble Opinion - Category: Primary Care Authors: Source Type: blogs