Brilliant Husband and I had the best week with both of our kids home from work for Independence Day! Movies, good coversation, board games, great food, video games, college prep talk, and… Wimbledon!
We’re not particularly a tennis family (hockey is the sport of choice for us) but they all indulge my fascination with the sport and the athletes who reach the top of the game. I’ve tried to play tennis and I’ve had fun failing miserably, but something about the game continually inspires me.
For years, Wimbledon has been my non-negotiable viewing. Kids get the television when the coverage is over. Breakfast at Wimbledon is something I want to listen to over a cup of coffee – no chatter allowed. Trash talk my favorite player in any match at your own risk.
As I said, the family indulges my fascination.
I enjoy watching the players go for it all, putting heart and soul and strategy into each point. It takes more than fitness, practice, and exquisite skill to succeed on the gorgeous green of Centre Court. It takes composure – mental balance in the heat of competition.
In every line of work there’s that melt-down point. The place where you’re not sure you can navigate the next part of the plan. When you’re not even sure what the next step is. I’ve hit that wall in all kinds of roles: as a florist, as a waitress, as a mom, as an executive assistant, and as an author.
In tennis, it seems like some players hit through it while others rein it in for a few points until they’re back on track. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly fortunes can change on the tennis court and the players who keep believing despite the scoreline seem to endure.
With some books, I hit through the low points and know I’ll smooth out the errors in next draft and editing process. With the family, it depends on the situation whether I confront a challenge head on, or wait out a tricky mood – whether it’s my own or another’s.
Watching tennis reminds me of a line from Dr. Seuss Oh, The Places You’ll Go: “When things go wrong… and they sometimes will…”
There are times when you give your all and still come up short. When that happens you have to find a way through the murk and mire to try again. Athletes do that after every competition, often publicly. Some handle it gracefully, others don’t.
Often it depends on the moment. Or the mood.
It’s a fact of life we’ve tried to impart to our children through sports, school, and life in general: Strive for your dream. Give your best effort in all things, and then you can hold your head up no matter the final score and say, “well played”.
Live the adventure!
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