Cheer for Yourself

 A few weeks ago, I was timekeeping for a minor hockey game in one of our local rinks. In this particular rink, the timekeeper booth is situated between the player benches...which means you can hear EVERYTHING that is said on the bench during the game.  One of the coaches for the Home team was very loud.  He did not have any amount of moderation or nuance to his tone...it was full volume, full blast, non-stop, straight-up yelling.  As you can imagine...It. Was. Annoying! 

Except, I realized something...gradually...through the din. I realized that at the top of his loud, rasping, incredibly irritating voice, he was yelling nice things...encouraging things to his team.  Things like:

"YOU`VE GOT THIS!!  

                             YOU CAN DO IT!  

                                                          DON`T GIVE UP!"

And when a player came back to the bench discouraged because he hadn't scored, the Coach bellowed to him: "IT’S OKAY...DON’T SWEAT IT...YOU’LL GET THE NEXT ONE!"

Whenever the team did score, he literally jumped up and down and clapped for his team...giving them a high-five as they skated in from their shift, and cheering loudly.  So excited, in fact, that my co-worker and I were sure he would either completely lose his voice or have a stroke before the game was over.  

Afterwards...when the Advil kicked in and my headache went away...I started thinking how great it was for those players to have a coach who was so supportive and encouraging...trust me, there are lots that aren’t like that...I hear them just as clearly.  And I felt just a little bit jealous, wishing I could have that in my own life...and, yes,  I know we all have family and friends who cheer for us and encourage us...but imagine having that all the time, for EVERYTHING you do...loud, hearty, unmitigated encouragement?

Instead we normally let ourselves listen to a barrage of unhelpful, non-stop negative content. I am certain that I’m not the only person that hears running commentary in my head all day long.  It usually sounds a bit like this:

"Oh, that was dumb!  Why did you do that?  Why did you say that?  Real smart, Sarah...real smart!  Wow. Just...wow!  No wonder your life is a disaster.  Stop talking.  Stop talking...stop right now...you are just making it worse.  What. An. IDIOT! "

BUT...What if we could change that...and tell ourselves only encouraging and positive things?  What if we cheered for ourselves, as loudly and enthusiastically as that coach did...telling ourselves not to give up. To keep going.  To take another shot.  

And let ourselves be happy and excited and celebrate every success, no matter how small.  

What would happen in our lives? I mean, obviously positivity and joy, and all the accompanying mental and physical benefits of those...but what else? 

Because if we cheer ourselves on and believe in ourselves, what wouldn’t be possible?

I think I might just try it...Yay me!  Go for it!  Well done, old chap. Jolly good!  

You try it now...I know you can do it!  You’ve got this!

Sincerely, 

Sarah

Dream Small

     I have a cute little song on my playlist called Dream Small by Josh Wilson.  My youngest daughter sent it to me a while back.  It's about the little things we can do right where we are.

    I thought of it the other day when she sent me a picture of herself. She just had all her long, thick hair cut off to donate to cancer patients for wigs. This is the third time she has donated, fulfilling a promise she made to herself at twelve years old. 

     I am so stinkin' proud of her! 

    I would follow her example, but no one would want my sad hairs for themselves!  

There are other small things I can do...make soup, for instance, for someone who's sick. Every time I go to a cancer ward there are blankets and booties and hats knit and crocheted by busy hands and waiting hearts. Small things. 

    Gandalf the Grey famously said:

"Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."

    I think of a young man I know who stayed home with his children since currently his place of employment is closed.  Not because he can't work elsewhere, but because his sweet little girl has allergies, and it is best for her at home.

    He isn't a bum or a loser, he's amazing. Fighting his own hard battles while protecting the young, isn't that what warriors do? His young wife has picked up the task of breadwinner - also courageous!

I'm pretty sure this is an everyday, common, occurrence these days. But I see it as Courage.   

    I know a young couple who are raising their nieces and nephews quietly and without fanfare stepping in and giving them a loving safe home. Beautiful. 

 I know there are so many similar stories. Quiet heroes... living legends of kindness. 

 Grandparents, neighbors, countrymen: ordinary folk.

 I know a high school kid who lived in the basement and took care of his siblings during Covid. His mom was a nurse, on the frontlines at that time and so had to isolate herself to provide for them. 

Courage. 

Crazy amazing courage. 

He was alone a lot, fought through the dark, and won - told his demons to back off because he was responsible.

    In the world scheme of things, only about two people knew about this. Or cared. But I find it wonderful. 

    Awesome!

    Impressive. 

    And I was proud of him too!

    I know there are other kinds of people. Mean. Rude. Careless. Bad, even. But I love the stories I find of the people who don't know they're heroes, who do extraordinary things every day. 

    If you need encouragement today, look around. Listen. You'll find great deeds happening! Steady, undramatic, salt-of-the-earth folks, living with honor and keeping their word. 

    I don't want to be polarized by age, 

generational differences, 

politics (Oh, dear Lord!) 

sports, religion, 

spelling, or math! 

I want to see sparks of light, 

catch a stranger's eye and smile, 

and notice the good, great, and courageous

 people around me!

    I also dream big, and I should! There are so many 

things I still need to do! But on the way to great things...

Do small things with great love.

💖Susie

    

Northern Lights Wonder

     NORTHERN LIGHTS WONDER

Auroras over Alaska. photo credit: Lisa Stossmeister

I have a treasured childhood memory of standing on a snowy path wrapped in a blanket well after my bedtime. My mom and sisters were out there with me in the dark.  We were all looking up and exclaiming in wonder. The vast Canadian sky was alight with green and pink waves of light.

The Northern Lights were dancing.

I remember sitting in a snow bank night after night waiting to see Haley’s Comet. The unforgettable moment when it was finally visible! Then figuring out that I could see it again if I lived to be ninety-one. 

This was something our mom often did - wake us up to make sure we didn’t miss a magical moment.

Our mom had this idea of intentional wonder that she tried to pass on to us. It’s a habit - to pause in your tracks and marvel at something unusual - something grand - something bigger than yourself.  It might be the colorful leaves in the fall, or huge snowflakes falling. It’s easy to start the habit.  You just start to look around you with curiosity. When you take the time to admire the wonder of a mountain view, or the first rose of summer unfolding, you catch sight of a perspective that is lost in the daily activities of living. Then, with a smile, you return to the tasks at hand.

Before you know it, you start to live with hope and expectancy.  You start to look for something to be thrilled about. You start to believe that no matter how dark the night, a time will come when there will be constellations or dancing aurora to admire.

If you have trained your eyes to look for it, your heart will find the miracle.  For just a moment, you will feel awe and amazement so huge that it gives you courage to see beyond your immediate troubles.

In our teens, we did not appreciate this characteristic so much.  We groaned, “Okay.  Nice.  We’ve seen them before.” Rolling over to go back to sleep and let our mom enjoy the aurora alone. 

But the idea was already set, and in our own motherhood days, I think we each woke our children up to see the Northern Lights or stopped the car to look at a rainbow.  We definitely taught them to catch snowflakes on their tongues! 

The other night, I was startled awake by a loud whisper from my 17-year-old, “Mom!  The Northern Lights are out!  Come on, you won’t want to miss this!” 

As I stood beside him on the cold porch, wrapped in a blanket, looking up at the sky filled with dancing greens and pinks - I smiled.  He thought this was clever payback for all the times I dragged him and his brothers out of bed on cold, clear nights.  But I am happy knowing that he, too, has learned to look up and see the marvelous things around him.