Lessons from my old high school track

My husband and I recently went “home” to visit my parents.  One morning we woke up and went into town to run/walk around the high school track so we could get our 2-3 miles in for the day.  As I started my second or third lap I found myself smiling as I remembered telling myself, almost 30 years ago, that I would *never* run again.

You see, I’m not a runner, but when I was on the high school track team (I threw the discus) my coach asked me to “run the 2-mile” whenever there were so few girls in the race that all I had to do was finish and we would get team points.  I did it ~ for the team ~ but hated every step, and so when I approached the final finish line of my last 2-mile race I promised myself I would never run again unless it was to save the life of a child!  And I meant it.

Fast-forward 20-some years and I actually paid money to run in a 5K race (but that's a story for another time); and since that experience I actually enjoy jogging with some real running sprinkled in sometimes ;).  And that’s why I found myself smiling as I realized I was running ~ because I chose to ~ around the same track where I had declared, at the age of 17, I would never run again.

As our teenage sons struggle with their testimonies or blatantly make choices contrary to what we’ve taught them, it’s easy for us to believe they will never change their minds, never remember all the things they know, never find their way back to the Gospel again.

But, do you still firmly believe everything you were most adamant about when you were a teenager?  Or even a young adult?

I don’t.  And that made my run around my old high school track even sweeter.

My son may be on a different path than I imagined he would be, but I can still love him through the ups-and-downs of his journey because I know he won’t always see things the way he does right now.  Being the mom, even through challenging times, is so much better from a place of love rather than from constant worry.

If you would like to learn how to love more and worry less, email me at kelly@findpeaceinparenting.com OR set up a free mini-session now.  My Find Peace in Parenting coaching has already helped LDS moms with wayward teenage sons.  During your mini-session we’ll see if my coaching would be a good fit for you, too!