The innocence of youth is really something to behold. Our 10-year-old nephew has been converted to a Seahawks fan by my husband. Yesterday we all were majorly disappointed that our team’s season is over but our nephew took it the hardest.
He became very quiet and I could tell that it hurt him in a way that was different than what we adults were experiencing. Watching him, I tried to remember when this kind of letdown seemed like the end of the world. When even the small things were of great importance and the only expected result was a good one, and when a bad outcome was devastating.
Even though the troubles of our youth pale in comparison to our grown-up problems, back then those issues pained us just as deeply. We didn’t have the coping skills we hopefully have as adults and our world was so much smaller then so all parts of our life were huge and significant to us.
But oh the resilience. The ability to bounce back quickly and move on to the next thing. We were learning lessons, life lessons, back then but we didn’t even know it. There was no paralysis by analysis, nothing had to be dissected and re-imagined every which way but loose.
Today my nephew is off from school and is skiing with a friend. He is no doubt having the time of his life, making run after run down the mountain. His uncle and I, however, are playing Monday morning playoff quarterback even though it’s afternoon.
We will bounce back too. But with us, bones will be creaking, we will grimace, we will be sore for a few days, we may even have a scar. And instead of getting back on the ski lift, we will go into the lodge for a hot toddy to help nurse our wounds and watch a little TV.
No doubt ESPN will be showing the game . . .
