Lay Down or Get Up and Fight

by Michele Boy | August 31, 2023

Here we are at the end of August. School is underway, the first home high school football game is tomorrow. Fall is in the air. It’s just an expression as temperatures are predicted to be in the upper 90s. 
 I haven’t slept much lately. In the wee hours of the morning I learn languages, read books, and laugh at a few comedians. 
  Somehow at 4:30 AM I am able to fall back to sleep for a couple hours and am late for chores, tasks, and the day ahead. 
 So if I ramble a little, it may be because I haven’t slept much. 
On Sunday night, I decided to change the music I wake up to. I chose praise music and yes, I slept right through it. 
So it is back to heavy metal music for the morning alarm. 
 Change happens all the time. Sometimes those changes stick, sometimes they don’t.
 I have several years of high school Spanish, a number of years of practicing the language, and 300 days of learning Spanish through an app under my belt.
This week, I went to an all Spanish meeting in the hopes I could understand some of what they said. 
Nope, nothing. I did record it and plan to use it to try to build listening skills. 
The story about a high school student traveling to Spain in this week’s paper got me excited. I have always loved traveling. I showed my daughter pictures of me when I was younger. She saw me backpacking through Big Bend National Park, bicycling in Ireland, and my small apartments in NYC. 
 We talked about traveling to different places around the globe.  
Those are goals for later because this year we committed to sheep.  We have plans for a number of shows throughout the fall and winter. 
Am I tired? Yes. But is it worth it? Yes. We may not win. We could always commit more time and effort. So why do it? 
Well, when our daughter is in the sheep ring, something magical happens. She transforms. 
Win or lose she is stronger and more confident. 
 And I hope that is transforming her to take that confidence into school, on the basketball court, and any other dreams she may have. 
That’s what we all want right? Our kids to be successful and happy.
 But the truth is, like everyone else, she will have challenges and obstacles in life.
 So what do we do when challenges and obstacles come? We have to teach how to rise above them. How to navigate them. We have a choice - to go through or lay down. So many times in my life I have laid down and given up. And I don’t want that for her. 
I want her to be strong and courageous and not give up. 
How about you? Have the challenges in your life strengthened you? Have you fallen apart? Maybe that is life. What’s that song by Chumbawamba? “I get knocked down, but I get up again
You are never gonna keep me down.”
Where are you at? Laying down or fighting? I hope you are fighting.
Because of all the gifts we can give our kids, I think teaching them to go through may be the greatest gift of all.