I often asked myself why put in the effort, resources and so much mental energy into teaching your children this risky and often challenging sport. I knew all the whys all along (bonding, good winter activity , great character development , etc) it finally all dawned on me today, as I was zooming down fresh snow and admiring Victoria with her beautiful form and turns , I know I won’t ever keep up with . Our whole skiing journey flashed in front of my eyes and a huge sense of pride and pure joy tickled down my spine.
The day started with so much mom guilt trying to manage a very sick baby, Isaac, do something fun for a five year old, Charlotte, and connect with a nine year old, Victoria, after a long week of school . And here it was – skiing was the answer.
First , Charlotte and I spent a few hours alone, and I so enjoyed her trying to keep up and ski safely in her new boots and very new first of the season calf pain (those muscles don’t ever forget, but they do not embrace the pain easily, at first ). Charlotte definitely made that known by lying down mid mountain and asking for help . And it was a great place to lie down, I joined her and admired the beauty of it all around us – fresh air, magnificent mountain horizons, and my silly little girl nearby. She proudly told me that I need to use all my “might” to push the chairlift bar down, what a big word she used and I certainly didn’t share that one with her before. We used all our might at the chairlift and down the slopes and connected over chocolate and gummy bears lunch snack on the lift (who cares that we skipped our meal, we had sugar and our might to keep us going). We met with the rest of the family and enjoyed racing one another. Charlotte skied home with dad, and Victoria and I had a big traverse with three chairlift rides and woods trails to head back.
Victoria and I had a completely different experience, I was actually getting my heart rate going and getting a good workout in, while connecting on so many levels during those 8 min rides up. Victoria showed so much vulnerability and shared her anxiety about report cards and teacher conferences, asked about my feelings and shared that she can learn to be a better listener at school . All along we had no interruptions – constructive and reflective conversation where we were able to set goals and attack those anxiety feelings. Wow, it felt good to be her friend.
We all returned to warm slippers, coziness and still very sick, but rested baby , and I felt ready for another hard night . As a parent of three, I juggle so much , but the hardest is finding time to be truly present . Today I was present for all three, I embraced all the moments, I listened , and I tenderly rocked my son to sleep. My heart is full …for now…and here is to more skiing and discovery together.
