Relaxation Saturday: Dance competition, swimming and hanging out with friends
Oh, bless the weekends. I'm telling you right now. Those of you who have read my previous posts will know that I have been commenting that stress and fatigue have me totally worn out. Fortunately, the year is about to end, which makes the possibility of renewing energy something that will come in handy. The truth is that now, what I want to tell you about is the fabulous Saturday I had with my daughter. A week of hard preparation for her and her dance competition; but followed by a trip to the pool to relax?
Yes, winter is just around the corner but in my country we are going through a heat wave that has raised the temperatures a lot. Many people have taken the opportunity to go to the beach, and at my house, together with some friends we decided to get together after my daughter's dance performance (and my friends' daughters) to celebrate and relax a bit.... I think we all have exactly the same pattern.
That is, burdened by the days of work from Monday to Friday, and even more days at times, the day-to-day responsibilities and the boring, tireless, cold routine that absolutely kills everything. If there's one thing no one tells you when you're younger, it's how little you'll see your friends when you grow up and when we all have kids and other priorities in life. In the end, what I am trying to say is not a complaint, but a kind of loud cry to put on record that we parents also crave joy, fun and happiness.
Many times, parents are viewed with a high stigma. That is, they have to bear the heavy cross of always being serious, responsible; of getting each and every answer and also being sober and restrained. Nothing to see... We are human beings. We all have successes and mistakes. And above all, during the stage of raising our children, what perhaps no one will ever tell you is that what a father does for you, for the children, is to sacrifice himself. What happens is that he does it so well, that almost nobody notices it....
Now, for me, to grow is also to evolve. In every sense. Saturday, that is, yesterday was a day that I had not experienced for a very long time. I saw in my daughter's eyes the nerves of a girl who is about to perform in a dance competition. The girls had practiced so hard all week and had a truly amazing day on the stage. They did fantastic. Coordination, discipline and a lot of talent. So, tacitly the parents of the other girls and I decided to take the girls to the pool to relax and celebrate.
What a wise decision... They (the girls) were happy. They had fun. Many of them, who did not know how to swim, learned that day. There was laughter, fun and most of all laughter. I remember having abdominal pains from laughing so much. As I told you, it had been too long since I had spent a weekend with my friends, my daughter, and all of us having fun. Everyone doing their own thing. My baby with her dance partners and me, with her parents, who also shared with me the imperative need to disconnect?
Spontaneity alone is priceless. A Saturday that began with the responsibility of taking my daughter to her competition, ended with a feeling of happiness so great that I was totally moved. It was simply beautiful. Besides, I think the pictures themselves show that it was. Spectacular, fun and unplanned. Necessary ingredients for the best moments that happen to us in life.