Be My Cheerleader

Remember watching me learn how to walk? I walked all around the furniture holding on for what seemed like forever. You tried to get me to let go and walk on my own, but I just wasn’t ready yet. Then one magical day, while holding onto the couch, I fixed my eyes on the chair that was three feet away. You knew by the look on my face that I was going to go for it. You held your breath and watched – trying not to distract me. Then it happened. I took two pitiful wobbly steps toward the chair and fell down halfway there. You probably didn’t pick me up and say, “Now wasn’t that pitiful! The chair is only three feet away and you couldn’t even make it there without falling down. I’m so disappointed in you. You only made it halfway there and 50% in our society is failure. So I’m labeling you a failure at walking.”

And you most likely didn’t overload me with instructions such as, “Honey, just put your feet a little further apart and put your hands out for balance, like this.” Both of those reactions would be mean and crazy. I’m sure you did what most parents do in this situation. You ran over to me, swooped me up and cheered me on. You called the family, neighbors and friends. You grabbed a camera and then put me back at the same spot on the couch
where I started. You knelt by the chair I had been going for, reached your arms out to me and said, “Come on baby, try again! You can do it. I’m here to catch you if you fall.” What a beautiful moment. You were my cheerleader. Encouraging. Safe. Loving. You made me want to try again, and again. You made me feel like I could do anything.

Why did you stop doing that? When did you decide that it was better to scold failure and dish out instructions for everything? I still need you to look at me with admiration and say, “Come on, I know you can do it. I’m here for you.” Don’t assume that as I get older that I don’t need this anymore. I need you to nurture and cheerlead me through my failures. Trust me, encourage me and applaud my efforts. This is the path to my success. This is what I long for.