Today is the boy’s first day of school. Last night we talked about what they were least and most looking forward to about going back to school.
It was a surprisingly interesting conversation.
I went to sleep thinking about their responses. Everything they weren’t looking forward to, centered around fear of the unknown. What will I do about . . . ? How will I . . . ? What if . . .? Then there was one simple answer, spelled out, G.I.R.L.S. 😉 Oh brother, that one will always be a scary unknown.
It was almost as if, in their little minds, they were thinking through a typical day of school and reciting all the possible landmines.
It made them want to stay safe.
Why in the world would they go to school and expose themselves to all that danger, when they could stay here, safe, at home? It makes sense to me. Here there are no other kids being mean, no new teachers, no having to find someone who wants to play, no feeling left out. There’s no having to figure out who to sit by in the cafeteria. No being judged for being different.
There are certainly no G.I.R.L.S.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
I really want to do work that matters, but how will I… ?
I’d love to volunteer my time for that, but what will I do about… ?
I want to be vulnerable in that relationship, but what if… ?
I want to use my voice courageously, but what if … ?
It sounds familiar to me.
We make choices every single day to either stay safe with what we know, or to do that harder thing. The unknown thing. The thing we fear, that has the potential to make us better human beings. The thing that just might change the trajectory of our lives.
The unknown things that scare you will always, always be there.
If you do them anyway, I can promise you this: It will be hard. It will be uncomfortable. It’ll be scary . . . at least at first. AND you will grow.
It will be worth it.
Grab your backpack sister.
It’s time to go to school.
To more love,
Crystal
