Bumps in the Road

It would be nice if getting from Point A to Point B was as easy as it sounds; if a magic carpet could swoop in and transport you from the spot you're standing to the distant place you want to be. Unfortunately, that mode of transportation is limited to Disney characters so the rest of us have to stumble our way through difficult times as best we can. Decades of dealing with life's ups and downs have a way of showing you that trials, though certainly unwelcome, are often the gateway to wisdom and growth but helping your child come to terms with that reality has proven even more difficult than learning it firsthand.

As I've previously written, our family has been riding a positive wave the past couple of weeks as we've watched our eldest child make great strides in a personal struggle. Though we all wanted to believe that the progress would continue in a straight line, we were realistic enough to know that that was unlikely. All we could do as parents was to be prepared when our child hit that inevitable pothole; to be there with the right words, the right encouragement to help her keep her eye on the prize.

Today, we had to do just that.

When our child's fragile confidence took a momentary nosedive we had to be ready with the support she needed. I'm happy to say that within a couple of hours, the worst of the storm had passed. But we know we're far from home free. We know there will be other challenges in the days ahead but we are united in our goal We're going to have to take one day at a time.

And we're going to keep an eye out for those potholes.