Something for Everyone

I love being a father, a coach, a volunteer with our kids at church, and the husband of a first-grade teacher.  It gives me a chance to learn more about our future teachers, doctors, pastors and business leaders.  I wasn't around many children when I was younger, so it has been quite an education.  One indelible truth I have learned:  Kids come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.  They all have special gifts, and they all want to belong somewhere.

My father-in-law and I were talking recently, and he made the observation that kids today seem to have more choices to belong to something and to compete. And I love that, especially as the father of three children with very distinct personalities.  My youngest is a sports nut.  He loves to watch all sports--we have to put a time limit on him during the Olympics--but baseball and soccer are his passions.  Thankfully soccer is more prevalent than when I was a kid because he is not interested in football or basketball.  He can play on the pitch in the fall and spring and, if we can get an indoor team together, stay involved in the winter.  Summers are reserved for baseball, and baseball alone.   My daughter, the oldest, is a dancer, actor and pianist.  She is most at home on a stage where she can help people forget their troubles for a while and delight in her smile?  She is also planning to try cross country this fall (guess that means I better get in shape so I can train with her this summer). Those two kids were pretty easy.

To be honest, we weren't sure what my middle child's thing was going to be.  He tried t-ball and basketball, and was pretty good.  But he did not like either. Football? Forget it; he doesn't even like to watch it. Soccer? Nope. But then he asked to try dance and now he, like my daughter is into theatre and dance.  And while he is not into team competition, he is not averse to sports.  He just marches to his own drum.  He loves shooting sports. We've signed up for an indoor team archery league this summer at UCM.  A few weekends ago, a friend and I took him to the shooting range and he is hooked on target practice with my .22.

Now, this creates a scheduling nightmare sometimes; we had two baseball games sandwiched between dress rehearsal and two nights of dance recital last week.  And we start that archery league (along with Vacation Bible School and two baseball  games) this week.  Suffice it to say we are POOPED.  But to see my children perform, compete and use their gifts where they feel a sense of belonging is a true blessing, and I wouldn't miss it.