As a young child I was always
apprehensive about clambering onto one end of the teeter-totter in the
playground nearby. Somehow I felt almost certain that when my end was “up”
whoever was on the other side keeping balance would leap off and I would come
crashing down with an unseemly thud.
In retrospect, it seems that
two of the most difficult challenges in daily living are giving our trust, and
staying balanced! When writing autographs in classmates’ books was a popular
fad, one phrase that was penned in mine read “Love your friends and love them
well, but to your friends no secrets tell, for if your friend becomes your foe,
your secrets everyone will know”! More than 50 years later it feels appropriate
– though I may have missed out on some gal-pal confidences! Our gut instinct seldom lets
us down if we listen to our intuition and place our trust appropriately.
Staying balanced is a state
of flux….particularly in the situation where the ”baby boomer” age group may be
sandwiched between raising a family and caring for or being responsible for an
aging parent or parents.
Regardless of how old or
young one’s children are, they are still “our children”. It can sometimes feel
like our aging parents may hover too closely or speak their mind too often for
our liking - we must remember that we
are their children. And the time does come when roles are reversed, we become
the caregivers and protectors of them as well as our own family members.
In June of 2012, tightrope
walker Nik Wallenda accomplished a formidable challenge by crossing Niagara
Falls on a cable stretched high above the churning gorge. Still breezes
buffeted him and many observers feared for his safety. Nonetheless, by focusing on the job at hand
and not hesitating, the feat was accomplished!
Since that time, when I
am faced with the struggle of Staying
Balanced, I erase the teeter-totter scenario and trust myself on the high wire.
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