This week in force fitness, healthy mind and healthy body

"What its children become, that will the community become". Suzanne Lafollette

Just as it is important to have a healthy body and to teach our children to be aware of what is healthy to eat and what is unhealthy to eat so it is just as important to think clearly and be healthy in our mind.

I was reminded of this as we drove home from the ballpark yesterday. My dear sweet boy was heartbroken. All he wanted for his birthday was to walk away the winner of the tournament we had just finished playing.
As we sat in the truck, I said, why such the long face son. He as quiet as he could be, soon started to wrinkle up his face, pull down his cap and weep. I just wanted to win the tournament for my birthday.

So, here I am thinking, and hearing that little voice in my head that is screaming, teachable moment. DO NOT MESS THIS UP!

I looked at him and said. You did win and it all depends on what your definition of winning is.
We came home with the second place trophy, which was great but, in his little mind it was less than perfection and he is very much a perfectionist.
I then began to explain to him that winning is not necessarily coming home with the first place trophy. Winning is giving your all, playing hard, doing the best that you can even when you don't feel like it. I told him that he as well as his team did just that all day long so, they did win.

I am very much an observer of people, of behaviors. I love to go to the mall and just people watch. So, yesterday I was observing our little athletes a little more than normal.
Little boys slowly molding into little men. Cheering each other on, patting each other on the back when things were not going so well, and getting so excited when things were going very good. I saw little boys willing to play positions they don't normally play because it was better at that moment in time for the team and I heard one talk so manly in a way that expressed he understood that. I could see that not only did cam want to win for his birthday but his teammates wanted that for him.
I understood more yesterday that children often get it when we do not and the adults often do the job of messing that simplicity up for them.

I saw so clearly the definition of humility played out before my eyes. As I thought back upon our talk about humility yesterday, I decided to look up the formal definition. of both the word humble and humility.

Humble - Marked by meekness, or modesty in behavior, attitude or spirit.
Humility - Lack of pride.

I see these qualities in these boys. It is our job to nurture that.

This past week I listened to a sermon by a preacher out of Michigan. He told a true story of a little girl who wanted to be alone in a room with her newborn baby sister. The parents were not so sure about that but, after some thought they decided it would be okay. They had a monitor in the room and if anything went wrong they could hear. So they walked away and left the little girl overlooking her new sister in her crib. They ran to the monitor in the kitchen so they could listen in on what might be happening. They simply heard the little girl talking to her newborn baby sister and this is what she said.
"Baby girl, tell me all you know about God because I have almost forgotten."

This, along with weekend of activities reminded me of what all we have to learn from children. They get it when we sometimes do not. So, I wonder is it the child who needs to be taught to have a healthy mind or is it me, the adult who has been given the awesome privilege and responsibility to mold and teach them what it is to have a healthy mind body and spirit. Me, who through a child and me through children has a chance to make the community and the world a much better place.