Be Brave

My daughter is sensitive.  And by sensitive I mean that she trotted off the basketball court DURING a game and ask that I not yell out her name because, "it upsets me," she said.  For the record, I was yelling something along the lines of "Get your hands up E.  Defense!!!"  I told her I understood and sent her back on the court.  I kept my mouth shut and she blocked a shot.  Lesson learned.

Seriously, E is more sensitive than most and it has opened up a world I never knew existed.  There are millions of feelings in this world and E feels every single one.  The tone of your voice can ruin her day.  We are working on her listening to the words people say and not how they say them.  I am hoping this will keep her in sports.  She comes home twice a week thinking her gymnastics coach is mad at her.  It does not enter her mind that one may need to yell with 25 girls running around in a gymnastics class.

A month into the school year she told me she did not like the saying, "have a good day".  That was a shocker because that is what I said every morning as I gave her a kiss and sent her on her way.  E thought there was too much pressure on her if she "had" to have a good day everyday.  Her exact words were along the line of, "but mom everyday is not going to be a good day.  Some days are better than others and I don't want to let you down".  She is six.  Six years old and I swear that came out of her mouth.

So I took a few days off from sending her off with any saying.  Then one day it came to me.  Be Brave.  I told her to "be brave" and asked her to remember that I loved her.  For someone as sensitive as Ella it is hard to take chances.  Heck, it is hard for anyone to take chances.  Some of us just wear the fear of taking a chance more on our sleeve than others.  Be Brave.

Bravery will enable her to ask a new friend to play.  Bravery will get her through having to read in front of the class.  And bravery will help her finish out the day when she gets homesick.  I am taking my own advice and trying to be brave in my own life.   I wish the same for everyone I love.  Imagine if we all stopped living in fear and did one courageous thing.  Odds are if you do one courageous thing it will lead to another.....  Be Brave!