Jun 26, 2009

faith.


What is faith? That's one of the BIG questions that gets answered in small ways at least a couple of times a day. Especially when there are kids around.

The other day I introduced my children to the wonderful world of rock climbing.

Not in the climbing gym. They mastered that long ago. It's a disparate analogy. They will scamper all over a climbing wall without a care in the world. There's nothing to worry about in that controlled and regulated environment and I suppose some people are all about that, but I'm not one of them.

It's like saying that a child can swim because he has swimmies on. You've gotta pull those suckers off and throw that kid in the deep end. That's swimming (or drowning!) and that's what has to happen, in the end, so why sugar coat it?

So, the other day, I showed them the real thing. We went out Junction Creek to the rocks near Turtle Lake. There were some cars already parked there and we passed some 'dudes' as we headed into the rocks.

Lewis froze in amazement to watch the 'dudes'.

What is he doing, Mom?

He's hanging by his fingernails, upside down, from a small cliff, Love. He's practicing so he can do it on a huge cliff.

Can I try?

That's why we're here, Baby.

And they're off!

Before I knew it, he had found the perfect wall to begin on. He wedged himself past an overhang with the help of a tree trunk and sunk his skinny little fingers into the chalky crags that could hardly be called holds and muscled his way straight up.

Use your legs, I said.

He did, and was quickly, out of MY comfort zone.

Remember the mention of faith above?

Let me tell you what faith REALLY is. Faith is finally getting Lewis back down and turning around to the fat boulder behind you and looking STRAIGHT UP and ALL YOU SEE is the little damn mermaid on your barely four year olds panties as she trucks straight up that face.

Be careful, Della.

I mam. (that's how she says it)

We, all three, stood under her, with our arms extended. She was nowhere within our reach.

She went up and down that rock and her brown and pink sun dress seemed to be the perfect climbing outfit.

When she got back down to terra firma she said....

"That's my new favewit fing."

You gotta have faith.

note: that weekend we were at my sister-in-laws house, and she was getting rid of a (not so clean) queen size mattress. Matt thought that I should use it as a pad for climbing. How cool would I look, hauling around a soiled mattress on the roof of my car and hiking it into the rocks? the latest mom accessory. maybe i'll start a trend.

No comments: