Thankful Thursday #8

I am so thankful for so many things everyday.

   I have always loved arts and crafts.  I loved coloring when I was little and have always been considered creative by others.  I was about 10 when a friend of my mom's opened up a children's boutique in our town.  She had really pretty children's clothing.  I made ribbon hair barrettes that were popular at that time.

     Remember '80's braided ribbon barretts?      hipgirlclips

     I loved making them and putting colorful beads on the ends.  I enjoyed making them more than wearing them. I had made a few pairs and my mom's friend asked me if I wanted to sell them in her shop.  I only sold a couple of pairs of them, but I was so excited! To be 10 years old and make something that someone else enjoyed wearing and I got a few dollars from it was the best feeling!  It was also so great that she asked me, I didn't beg or my mom didn't call in a favor.  She is still a friend and I won't ever forget that encouragement.

This Thursday, I am thankful for early encouragement.  I didn't become a famous hair barrette maker or jewelry designer, but it built my confidence and gave me such a positive experience of using my talents.

     Today's kids are so active in sports and music lessons it can be overwhelming.  It's so good to try different things and see where you have a natural talent or ability.  It's ok to not be good at something and move onto something else you might be better at.

I was really good at softball and tennis.  Not so much with basketball.  I wanted to be good and I played youth league and on the 8th grade team, JV, and my freshman year of Varsity.  Well, I sat the bench my freshman year.  Our school was small so basically everyone made the team in 8th grade and JV.  I just wasn't very good.  I went the wrong way one time and shot at the wrong goal.  Fortunately, I was bad and it didn't go in.  This would have been cute had it been youth league, but I was in 8th grade.

     My Varsity basketball coach was also my softball coach.  I was much better at softball.  I had played every year when I was growing up and I could hit the ball where I wanted to.  You know you are terrible at a sport when my Varsity basketball coach tells me I won't hurt his feelings if I quit.  Him being my Varsity softball coach, he didn't want me getting mad and quitting softball, the sport I was actually good at. I was relieved, though, because it was a tough sport to practice and not get to play.

     I was really little in high school.  I am only 5'3 and back then barely weighed 100 pounds.  I could eat more than any of the boys I knew.  My tennis coach would look at what I would order when we stopped to eat after tennis matches because he was always amazed at how much I ate.  It isn't fair.  I don't eat anything like I did then, but certainly don't weigh barely 100 lbs.!

     I would come home from school to eat before a game and my mom said I was the only player on the basketball team who ate 3 egg sandwiches to sit on the bench.  I still love egg sandwiches.  My great grandmother made them for me when I was little and they are comfort food.
     I feel like when I was growing up, I am 46, that kids participated in more things.  It seems like kids today get on one thing and just concentrate on that.  I know competition for Varsity sports and college scholarships are so tough, but in all that preparation I think kids miss out on trying different things as they get older.

     Sometimes, there is more pressure than encouragement.  There's a huge difference.  Kids need to be kids and have support while they are figuring out what natural, God-given talents and abilities they have.  It's so much easier when things come naturally.

     Otherwise, you are on the wrong side of the court and mistake all the yelling of warning you are going the wrong way for cheering!


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