Who Knows What the Future Holds

Tomorrow is such a mystery. Whether we are parenting or just living our lives, the curve balls that come at us leave us questioning how it's all going to end up. As I think back to my past, it's hard to pin-point just one thing that got me to where I am today. My parents played a huge role, but then what? Was it friends, sports, activities, school? I struggle at times to realize that my children's futures are not in my hands. I cannot 'make' them be someone they are not.  I cannot force them to enjoy things that aren't pleasurable to them. I cannot look into the future and pick what they are going to be when they grow up.  Heck, I'm still trying to figure that out myself.

The other day we were leaving the forest after dropping off #3 at camp.  My #2 and only boy had picked up a rock and decided he wanted to see if he could chuck it into the forest.  It's a shame that his aim is quite poor. It's equally devastating that he is not as strong as he thinks.  The rock he threw went straight up into the air and smashed into a car parked right beside ours. The driver ... a mother putting bug spray on her child, was standing in the back of the car.  The rock only missing her and her two children by a foot.  I suppose I should be thankful that it didn't hit them.

I apologized profusely, had my son apologize and got in the car near tears. My only question for my boy, "What were you thinking?" I didn't yell, I wasn't mean to him. I was just so stunned and so disappointed. Flashes of future criminal activity started to flood my brain. Feelings of guilt, shame and embarrassment overcame me. I took a few deep breaths, regained some composure and then had a nice conversation with the boy.

When we were on our way to camp drop-off today I had him write the kind mother a note. At the end I told him to tell her what he learned from this tragic denting event. If nothing else, I told him that because she was a mother, she would be okay that he hit her car if he learned something from it. He seemed confused. I said, the next time you are going to throw a rock, will you remember this and how you felt? He agreed that he would and that he learned that he shouldn't throw rocks.

Our lives will curve and twist and change. We will struggle, we will fail, we will make big mistakes. We will have moments that we wish we could take back. Our futures are unknown. The only thing that we can hope for is that we enjoy the ride and wherever it takes us. So my son hit a car with a rock. I am still mortified. It was completely innocent. I've come to realize, though, that without bends in the road, we will never find the right path. We need to mess up in order to change our behavior and do better next time.

As you struggle through this thing called life and work through your mistakes, my hope is that you will not be so hard on yourself and realize that messing up is half the battle of being better for the future!

Enjoy the journey you have been blessed with, love the people in your life, smile :) and remember, 'It's Okay'.

Visit www.itsokaybooks.com to learn more!

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