After school on fridays we head home for half an hour and then S and I make our way out to swimming.
Now swimming isn't one of my most favourite activities, although I have found the monotony of swimming lengths alone, in a calm pool quite peaceful and meditative in the past, but generally it's not my cup of tea... lots of things put me off the whole experience, but I know it's important that the children learn how to swim well, and so we go.
I watch for a while and I know I should be a more dedicated parent, but it is possibly the longest predictable half an hour of the week... unless there is someone to talk to, or I can lose myself in a book...
then after we've done the whole shower, dried, dressed and hair sorted routine which takes another half an hour minimum!, we travel onwards to dancing and more hanging around until three hours later we end up back at home.
The whole evening is, at best, tediously drawn out...
It's fair to say I'm not at my best on a friday evening.
However, this friday I watched S for a bit, and then sat watching the other parents taking an avid interest in their childrens swimming lesson - they were either enjoying it, or being far more gracious about it than I am - and I became aware, that in the not too distant future, when we no longer do this, it'll be a part of life I'll miss.
This part of life that I don't really enjoy...
even this is special, and should be treasured...
this time, is time we can't get back,
these things add up to the whole picture,
and perhaps even the things that aren't as enjoyable in life are still worth appreciating for what they are...
It gave me a slightly different perspective anyway...
so we'll see if next week is any the easier for those thoughts...
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Fridays...
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3 comments:
Hi there........you're at the pool on Friday nights....I'm in the gym watching sweaty little 10 year olds play basketball. Though I do like it, I always take my journal with me. I find the forced downtime kind of meditative....half watching and half dreaming or creating from my reflections of the week.
I am normally a snob of sorts when I'm sitting on the sidelines because I use it as my time to do the half watch, half write thing.
I find the parents who are in there too excessively too excessive......like they aren't giving their kids room to grow and be more independent. I feel this especially when watching my kids play team sports. It's their time to become part of another team...to lose themselves in the importance of that.
having written all that.....boy did I feel badly when I missed Max's fall the other night and all of a sudden I see him face planted on the gym floor. guilt!! guilt!! Luckily he was fine though he banged his knee pretty badly....I rushed out to centre court to make sure, brushed his tears and let him be looked after by his coach. He was back on the court for the next round 5 minutes later. If I had been too "in there" he wouldn't have been so brave to push himself a little more.
We are all trying to find that balance, arent we?
I love your honesty Katie. :c)
hi Dana, will think of you too then... it helps to know others are there :)
I'm pleased Max was ok.. I know I have sent Rob to things in the past because I know I just wouldn't be able to help myself from being over protective... though I hate to imagine what he'll get up to on his own in time!
At dancing there is no watching until the last week of term and that suits me fine...there is no pressure and they just get on...
it's so damn long though...at the end of the week when all I want is to chill out and wind down...
Jayne, thank you, so often my downfall though! x
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