Risk

I don’t mind taking risks … sometimes. Stepping through the tension of change makes me grow so I like the risk associated with change.

But do you know what’s hard? Watching the people around me, who are closest to me, who I love, take a risk. It’s not easy to watch.

This weekend our son Jakeb tried out for baseball. Which would not normally be a big deal, but he’s is about to be twelve years old and he’s never played organized baseball. Everything athletic comes naturally to Jakeb so I shouldn’t have been worried. I was more nervous than he was though. He ended up doing fine.

At the same time Jakeb was trying out for baseball our daughter Tori was at solo and ensemble playing an oboe piece accompanied on the piano by her mom. Because both she and Andrea were stepping out there and taking a risk I was nervous for them both. And they both did fine. Tori got a one (which is excellent).

Tonight our daughter Anna will sing in a talent show for her elementary school. Again I find myself nervous because she is stepping out into the tension of change and taking a risk. I know she’ll do fine too, but as a dad it’s easy to worry.

Way too many times as a parent I want to protect my kids from risk and change because risk comes with two outcomes – success and failure. To think of my kids failing at anything makes my stomach turn. But I know risk, whether there is success or opportunity for improvement, makes my kids better. So kids, step out there and give it a shot – your dad is behind you; supporting you; and trying like crazy not to worry about you; knowing that you will do just fine.