My daughter Kazai has a love-hate relationship with Tae Kwon Do. As she’s walking into my bedroom, I report to her that her father is coming to get her for class. Tears began to stroll down the face of my beautiful baby (Yes, I’m a biased and doting mother). She cried crocodile tears begging that she could stay home. “I don’t want to go!”
Yet, every time she is there, she has a blast! As a mother, it is a difficult lesson to not only teach but to also model. I have to remind her constantly that you must begin what you start. You cannot give up because the challenge has become more difficult.
Teaching this lesson is timely in light of the resignation of Governor Sarah Palin. The Governor says that she’s not a quitter, she’s a fighter but adds that politically speaking, “if I die, I die. So be it.”
What an interesting perspective. I don’t know Sarah Palin or really understand her reasons for leaving office. I do believe in a world that is partial to those it criticizes without a consistent standard, it is imperative that we do not send messages to our children that when the going gets rough, we don’t get tough. We quit.
Quitting isn’t bad when continuing is even more hazardous. There is a wonderful quote in the Bible that paraphrased tells us to count the costs of whatever we do. Quite often, we analyze the results of the action not calculating the impact of the process. Prestige and power always looks great from the outside. If we fail to evaluate the picture completely, we are misinformed and unprepared.
Maybe Sarah Palin felt it was time to pursue other opportunities. It’s quite possible that she was in over her head. It doesn’t matter because ultimately, she will deal with the consequences of her decisions—good, bad, or ugly.
This is a lesson I’m trying to relay to my baby. I want her to know that life gets hard. It’s unpleasant and sometimes what we love isn’t always fun and a bag of chips. I want her to know that with joy comes pain, often unspeakable trials that we endure behind closed doors. Despite all of those scenarios, you are a winner even when you lose. No matter what, face whatever you fear knowing that God is there.
Kazai went to class. She said, “Mommy, it was fun.” I knew she could do it!
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