The Gymnastics Journey

It's a funny thing, this gymnastics journey.

I don't know a thing about it.  I don't know how to do the stuff; I don't know what the actions are called.  I can't help David with it at home; I can't correct or instruct him.  It's his thing...and HE LOVES IT.

With the other activities the boys have done through the years, I've always been familiar enough with them to be able to either participate with my boys, teach them, talk intelligently with them about it, etc.  :)  With choir and violin, in particular, I feel very comfortable helping Josiah and David with them, of course; but even with sports they've done--like soccer and basketball--I know enough about them to play with them and/or instruct and remind them of what to do and how to do it.  When Josiah took fencing, I didn't know anything about that; and long ago, he took tennis, which I was only slightly familiar with.  So it's not as if I know everything about all the activities my kids have chosen!  ;-)

But this gymnastics thing feels particularly foreign to me.

Foreign, but so exciting, as I watch David EXCEL in it.  He did the beginners class this past fall, and was promoted to the intermediate class for the spring semester.

If you were to ask David what the highlight of his week is, I wouldn't be surprised if he answered, "Gymnastics!"  He looks forward to it with such eagerness and truly enjoys everything about it.

He's thriving in it!

And me?  All I can do is sit on the sidelines (usually accompanied by one or more of my other children), smile at him, give him a thumbs-up sign when he does something particularly well, do "I love you" in sign language when he does the sign to me (which happens multiple times during a class), tell him as we walk out of the rec center how proud I am of him...and let him do cartwheels all over the house, flips on the couch, and handstands in the middle of the living room.

The funniest thing to me about all of this is that I have no idea what the future looks like, in terms of his gymnastics.

Of course, I realize that he could lose interest; and this could be his last semester (although I seriously doubt that); but what does one DO if one is talented in gymnastics?  Will he continue taking classes at the rec center?  Are there local meets that he could participate in?  What does the road ahead look like?

I don't have a clue.

With the boys' participation in music, I can map out what the next few years might look like for them...

...lessons, workshops, recitals, concerts, perhaps participation in a Junior Strings ensemble, maybe (if I'm really looking to the future) being part of the Youth Orchestra here in town.

Looking even further, they could major in music in college and even pursue a music-related career path.

I'm NOT saying that's what they will or should do!  There is plenty of time for them to decide; and just like my parents didn't push me to follow in my mother's footsteps and pursue music, so do I want to act likewise: encouraging my children in the path God has laid out for them as individuals, not as copies of me!  :)

But if they choose music, I understand that path.  I've walked it.

The path of gymnastics?  Well, I can't even figure out the next step after this class!!  :)

It is SUCH an unfamiliar world to me.  :)

But it's a world that David loves; and because of that, I find immense joy in learning to navigate this new world.  Who knows where it will take him??  :)

* all pictures from David's class yesterday when, as you can see, Tobin and Shav accompanied me to it and had a blast playing with little cars on the bleachers and running back and forth along the side of the gym  :)  *