Recently we spent a "Six Flags Day" with some loved family members. I have to admit, I was not looking very forward to it. Theme parks are hot, noisy, and suck money right out of your pocket when you aren't looking. Not to mention that Parker has always hated roller coasters and ends up spending the day sitting and holding our bags while I have to ride with Hillary on every neck popping, hair raising ride they have.But not this year.
This year he decided for himself that he was going to "conquer his fear" and ride the roller coasters. We started off nice and easy with the Screaming Eagle. He and I climbed into the seats and pulled the bar down snugly. He gave a nervous smile...and off we went. I screamed...he grunted. I held onto my head with both hands so it wouldn't get whipped off in the turns...he laughed. Before I knew it, he was whooping and throwing his hands up in the air, enjoying the ride of his life! And that's all it took. Now I had the priviledge of sitting and holding the bags while Hillary and Parker ran from ride to ride, laughing and gesturing and exclaiming to one another.
I couldn't help thinking back to when he was younger and we (being the wise parents we are) tried to force him to face his fears. We made him ride a water slide ride that all of us could do together. We promised him it would be fun. We tried to convince him it would be fine. We finally forced him...and it was neither fun nor fine. At the top of the slide he buried his head in my side. As we began the descent, he started to scream and cry. I spent the whole 5 seconds the ride lasted praying for God to not let this scar my child and feeling sorry that I'd betrayed Parker's sensitive feelings. Why was it so important to us that he ride scary things? How would it matter if he went his whole life being the person who was scared of roller coasters? It didn't seem to matter to him if he was teased by his sister and his friends about being afraid. He would rather be true to himself than pretend he was having fun when he was not. Isn't that a good quality in itself?
But now, here he was, inches taller, pounds heavier, years older...riding those same scary rides with screams of joy instead of terror. And the only REAL difference was he had decided to do it for himself. Our poking and prodding never changed a thing. When he was ready, he did it.
Just one more up in a series of ups and downs...one more twist in this roller coaster that is parenting.
3 comments:
Like I said before, God is doing amazing things in your family. Parker is growing into a fine, caring young man. I'm glad he can have fun on the rides. I still don't like 'em. But I have 'faced my fears' in the boat. I even enjoyed a fishing day on an alligator infested lake during spring break. Of course, I was already out there when I started seeing alligators! And I couldn't walk back! so, I just decided that as long as they stayed out of the boat, and I stayed in it, I was ok. I'm proud of Parker. MIMI
True Stuff!! Poking and prodding(i.e. nagging) is a specialty of mine. Letting our precious ones grow into themselves is a much harder, though rewarding, endeavor. The joy of watching them follow their own dreams is awesome!
The only problem is, that sometimes they DO need to be pushed out of the nest a little. Figuring out when is the trick. And being accepting of them ALWAYS, is a necessity.
oops, that was me- Cheri
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