I stood quietly and let my husband battle with my son in a foreign “man language” that I didn’t understand……I’m so glad I did, because if it would of been left up to me, I would of failed him.
Snow skiing didn’t come naturally for my son. Halfway down the hill I realized we were in trouble. Every few feet he would fall and skis would fly in every direction. It would take 10 min to get him back up with skis attached ready to go.
He was getting angry at himself ready to give up. He just couldn’t do it. I had the perfect solution though…..I would walk him down the hill and take him to the lodge and get him comfortable with his favorite book that he brought. He could spend the day inside reading…because after all, skiing obviously wasn’t “his thing”.
He sat in the snow with tears…..frustrated that he couldn’t learn quickly like his brother, frustrated that he was slowing everyone down, but mostly frustrated that he was in his eyes, a failure. I wanted to dry his tears and make every excuse for him as to why he was struggling…(your ski must be broken or maybe the sun keeps getting in your eyes):)
He wanted to quit…….
……and I was fine with that…..but thankfully my husband wasn’t.
In a loving but firm voice my husband told my son that he wasn’t going to let him quit. “You are going to do this” ……my son tearfully said “I can’t do it Dad!” ( I also nodded in agreement that he couldn’t do it)….but this little boy needed a man to push him…to stand beside him in a difficult task…. and conquer it.
My husband pulled him up again….and again….and again until he got to the bottom of the hill. He wouldn’t take “No” for an answer….he never gave up on him.
I don’t know what was spoken on the ski lift between Father and Son…..but once we got to the top, instead of my awesome “book in the lodge” invitation he wanted to go down again.
My husband never left his side and I began to see something incredible…..my son became determined.
