A few days ago my sixteen year old son asked me to go to the trampoline park with him for the second time. The first time we went we had fun, but I was very cautious and woke up a bit sore from using muscles I hadn't used in a long time. My son and I share a love of gymnastics. He likes to challenge me to push myself. It is hard for him to comprehend that I am unable to do all I could do when I was younger. I also have an injury that I have to be careful of. Regardless of all this, I forged ahead and we drove to the trampoline park for another experience.
When we arrived he immediately started doing very advanced flips, while I did a few very simple jumps. He kept encouraging me to try more complicated skills. I was worried about injuring my hip, so I took it easy, even though the first time we went I didn't injure it further. This time I had no pain! We were having so much fun. I was able to do all I could do the last time, and more. My son was showing me all of the things he could do, and he was amazing. He was doing flips with twists, running up the wall, touching the ceiling. Little kids were in awe. It was awesome.
I looked over at the huge pit filled with blocks of soft foam. And idea dawned on me that maybe I should try a running forward dive roll and land in the soft foam. I figured that wouldn’t hurt my hip. I hadn’t done this in over twenty years. So I went for it. My son eagerly watched me. The first time I did it, I was naturally cautious. But it didn’t hurt me at all and it was actually extremely fun. I repeated the dive roll over and over again. My son was coaching me, telling me to get more height, taking videos. Every time I landed, I was laughing my head off. For some time I forgot all of my worries, and I just enjoyed being in the moment with my son, and my middle aged body that could still do some things it used to do years ago.
Later I was reflecting on this experience and I realized how important it is to do what we can. So often we think about all the things we can’t do, especially as we age and lose some of the skills and abilities we had as younger people.
I have a very dear friend who is in his early fifties, and cannot walk. He was injured in a skiing accident at the age of 18. When I met him what struck me most was how positive his mindset was. I’d never met someone who was disabled and had such a happy attitude. Up until then, everyone I’d met in a wheelchair was so bitter.
Later I got to know this man and I learned that he had deep faith in God, a very surrendered attitude about life, a very brilliant mind, and he practiced daily meditation. I’ve learned so much from this friend. He has a college degree from a top university, he is married with a beautiful wife and daughter, he has a great job and he is now getting his master’s degree. Despite constant pain, he never complains and he is one of the happiest and mentally strongest people I have ever met. He is such a great example of a person focusing on what they can do, not what they can’t do.
Be careful when you find yourself getting caught up in all the things you cannot do. Instead, try to focus on what you can do.
And I’ll let you know what happens next time I visit the trampoline park.
