Balance

My daughter has a passion for gymnastics. She has since our first “mommy and me” class when she was just over a year old. Her passion has led my family on a life journey into the competitive world of her chosen sport.

Anyone involved in competitive sports knows they are costly, time consuming, and, to be honest, at times emotionally exhausting. Your child’s dreams and desires combine with your parental instincts to let them experience positive activities from which they can learn and grow. Then, somewhere along the way, your good intentions evolve into schedules, fees, failures, and successes, all happening in the midst of already busy lives.

My daughter’s dreams have become loftier the longer she has remained in the sport. And encouraging her to chase her dreams has required tough decisions along the way. My family had to make one of those decisions recently when we sought a new gym.

That is when the words came.

A coach at one of the gyms we were considering made a statement that resonated with me. She spoke about balance in life, not just in gymnastics.

Balance was what I needed.

Balance was what I craved.

My weeks up to that point had bustled with activity. Life felt rushed and full of responsibilities. My spare moments, which were already in short supply, started to become squeezed out and virtually nonexistent.

I longed for a moment to just breathe.

I find it easy to get engrossed in the events and responsibilities of life. I roll along with society, chasing my pursuits, until one day I look up and life feels chaotic and unbalanced. At those moments I am too exhausted to figure out what to do next, but desperate to recharge and clear my mind.

Simple moments of quiet renew my spirit; whether it’s going for a walk, quiet time reading a book, or just playing fetch with my dog, an unscheduled moment brings life back into perspective. Those uneventful moments are where everything realigns and suddenly my life feels balanced again.

The noise of activity and pursuits becomes silenced when I take a few moments to enjoy the things that bring me balance.

Do you ever feel like you need a moment to just breathe? How do you restore balance? Please share in the comments section below.