FUN FRIDAY--CATCH!

Do you have any memories that hold you back from catching new opportunities?

Recently I was at a friend's house and her son, who was just sliding into baseball season, asked if I'd like to play catch. My first reaction was, "I'm really terrible. I'll make you laugh."

This ten year old wasn't buying it. "You can't be that bad..."

Oh, but I can. Right?

See, here is what I pictured: I'm in third grade. I've started softball. My great-aunt and uncle are there to watch a game. I do not remember practicing before, but I must have practiced. What I remember is throwing and not making the mark. I remember a pitch so bad, it clocked me and I never got to bat because it took me out. I don't think I tried to play again after that. That is my only memory of softball.

My son played baseball for a bit and I'd play catch with my kids and they'd giggle. Or say things like, "Try to throw it to my mitt, Mom." Umm, I am trying??

I love sports, but the only one I played for any length of time was basketball.

Anyway, my friend's son encouraged me. And you know what? I wasn't as terrible as I thought. He even told me so. (Let's be real--our own kids are more critical of us than other kids.) He taught me how to hold my hand when throwing a ball and where to place the mitt when catching. That helped!

What was even better, I loved it! I had so much fun. My inner child delighted in every throw and even laughed at missed catches. My adult self breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe that terrible memory, reminding me of how horrible I was, wasn't really so terrible.

And even if it was as bad as I remember, why would I let that memory impact other opportunities?

Yet we do it, don't we? We feign disinterest or we politely decline opportunities because of past experiences or memories our inner child holds.

I let go of that memory and caught a new one. Thanks, kid!

Do you have any experiences or memories that are holding you back? What are they? How can you overcome and bless your inner child with a little extra freedom?