Monday, October 19, 2009

The top of the wall



**FINALLY** we finished the climbing wall! It has been up for a good long time, but now it has all the holds on it. You can see we improvised a few at the bottom... It is about 14 feet high, just right for the children. How cool is it that this is what recess is like?!

There is so much to learn about life from the climbing wall... wow.

The thing that has stuck with me the most is actually not getting to the top. It is what they do once they are there. The boys (especially) are pretty confident that they can get to the top. Even friends who have not climbed this wall before puff up their little man chests and, indeed, shimmy right up to the top. Then they get stuck. And it really is not that high. And you can see they wear a harness, and I am holding the other end of the rope. I try to tell them that this is what I went to college to do. (Yes, it is, in fact. I am finally putting my degree to work!) They don't care what I went to school to do when they are standing at the top, and I am asking them "to lean back and trust the rope".

Sometimes they try and try and try. They get mad. They cry. But they keep trying to trust me and trust the rope. Finally, they conquer their fear and, oh joy! What fun they have rappelling down the wall!!

Sometimes they get to the top and say "NO WAY. I WILL NOT EVEN TRY." My husband is a counselor. I try all the techniques on them. "What are you afraid of?" "Can you trust me?" "Tell me about your relationship with your father." Blah, blah, blah. If they have made up their minds not to even try to push past what they are afraid of, then no amount of coaxing will work.

Yeah, I say to myself, that's not me. I NEVER do that. I always try, right? Self, are you listening?
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