I believe it must be one of the hardest things on earth to watch your child struggle - big or small, it just hurts to watch them hurt. However, after watching my 8 year old girl endure one of the most challenging times in her young little life, I think that I will view struggles in the lives of my children a little differently from here on out in my journey of parenthood. She has taught me much.
My Kylee is a gymnast. She puts in countless hours at the gym training on skills, strength, and flexibility. Her determination and drive at such a young age has been impressive, to say the least. There is no "pushing" necessary... in fact, quite the opposite, we've actually tried to sway her away from gymnastics as it is quite a commitment for the whole family, in regards to financial and time investment. But, she says, this is what she loves to do!
The fractured foot at the end of the summer seemed as though it would be quite a set back for her as a gymnast. She would miss competition and would fall behind in her skills as her teammates continued to progress at incredible speed. And though Ky shed some tears in light of her new reality, she pushed forward and was determined to use this time to get stronger. She worked every single day on strength at home and went to the gym 2-3 times a week just to be with her teammates and work on additional strength and minimal skills. She went to every competition to cheer on her team and we were so very proud of the joy she chose, despite her disappointment in not being able to compete herself.
After 12 weeks of a cast, the ortho boot, then full time athletic shoe support, Kylee was cleared by her physician to return to the gym. The final meet of the season was just 6 days away and too far behind in skills, strength and stamina to compete at her level, her coach asked if she'd like to attempt to compete as a level 4, where skills would be less intensive on her foot. I was so nervous as I "knew" it would not be a good meet for my little girl who had been out for so long, but she was thrilled to have the chance to compete and jumped at the chance. Her first vault came just 3 days before the competition and her first time on a tall balance beam just 2 days before. I prepared Kylee to not have high expectations of herself, but just to have fun and enjoy the opportunity. Jim and I were shocked when she pulled of her best meet yet and qualified for the State Championship!
It had been quite a journey for my little girl and after her final clearance from her doctor I asked her what she felt that she had learned through this time. She thought for a bit, then stated, "Courage, perseverance, having a good attitude when life is hard, and I'm most important because I'm God's child, not because of what I can do." She said that she believed God had a purpose and a plan for her, and she could trust Him. What more could I desire for my child than a heart that trusts her Savior completely even in the midst of a trial? No matter what the State Meet held, it didn't matter to me. My little girl showed me that she was in the center of God's will for her life and she was able to trust Him and put her hope in Him. This was a season in her life that mattered more than any high score or gold medal, for it was a season that mattered for all eternity.
She went to the State Meet with joy and smiles and a purpose to enjoy the opportunity that we didn't think would be hers this season. This is what the Lord blessed her with:
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