David's Challenges

Karate is one of David's many challenges these days, and getting it right is hard work, whether it's the horse stance or ken-po, keeping his balance in the obstacle course or kicking a cushion through the target. Then there's swimming: executing that breast stroke and breathing correctly. And fencing: keeping perfectly erect when en garde. And chess: carefully thinking through your strategy. And church: learning the stories and rituals, the seasons and feasts of our tradition. And a normal school day: learning to read and write, to draw, add, subtract.

Until a year ago, his challenges were minimal, with no worries about getting everything right. Then, suddenly, all these demands arrived at his doorstep like a huge special delivery from the big wide world. Now, words like "focus", "discipline", and "hard work" take their place alongside "fun", "awesome", and "cool".

And yet, when he's with Papa and me, I want it to be different. Forget about getting everything right. We'll ride our bikes, play board games, build train sets or race stock cars, laugh, explore the world, talk of cabbages and kings. And, OK, so we'll watch a little TV now and then, too. The point is that home is for fun, letting down our hair, chilling.

I know, I know: family life has its own demands--saying "please" and "thank you", attending to each other's feelings and needs, forgiving each other again and again, doing the chores around the house, welcoming guests. Papa and I will guard these demands because we ignore them at our peril.

But in the big wide world, let David's other mentors be the heavies. Here at home, papa and I will be his champions.