I was into tennis when I was a kid.  I used to spend hours hitting the ball against a wall at the local tennis courts.  I wanted to be Bjorn Borg.  Things didn’t work out very well for me in tennis and Bjorn Borg I am not.

Practicing against the wall is great.  The wall always gives something back.  Sometimes its not what you expected and you have to adjust pretty quickly.  Over time, I found the better I placed the ball, the better the return.

Parenting is a bit like practicing tennis against a wall.  You always get something back.  Yes, sometimes what you get back forces you to adjust quickly, just like tennis.

I have enjoyed a great summer with my kids.  We have had a lot of adventures and continued to build memories.  We did all the things people do over summer.  Most of all we laughed.

School started a few days ago for one of my daughters.  I walked her to school and into her new classroom.  I spoke with the teacher and the parents I had not seen over summer.

My daughter said goodbye and she ran off to share stories of her summer with friends old and new.  I walked away feeling proud of how much she had grown and pleased she had so many great friends.

A few seconds later I felt a familiar pair of arms around my waist.  In the rush of the first day back, my daughter forgot to tell me she loved me.

Kids just keep giving back.  Like I learned in tennis, the better I give, the better I get back.

SDG