Zumba

One of the things about parenting is that you are so in the thick of it that I think it's sometimes hard to see the growth you are making - I suppose this is probably true of almost anything, but for some reason I'm really feeling it right now about parenting.  And I know how cliche' this sounds, but I want better for my kid than I had.  Not that I was destitute, or missing anything critical.  But I want my child to have every advantage I can give her, and I'm thinking more about experiences and character than about money. One of those experiences is seeing a model for intentionally healthy living.  I never saw my parents exercise or pursue a sport; however, they both worked hard - gardening, cleaning, etc - and were healthy people. But I never was encouraged to try any sports, and that was never a path that I chose to travel, not even in college or as an adult. However, lately, I have discovered that I enjoy running. The solitude, the rhythm, the time to think. And Lauren has been asking to join me.  We had to set some boundaries, because one of the reasons I so prize my running time is because it is equivalent to solitude for me.  So she alternates days with me when the weather is nice, and she plays with Nana while I run on the treadmill when the weather in inclement. Lately, though, she's been asking to run on the treadmill after me, and usually walks/jogs about .75 of a mile. Pretty impressive to me.
And I started taking some Zumba classes this week, for variety.  Last time was scary and made me feel very incompetent, but I got back on the horse and tried again tonight and it was MUCH better.  And Lauren joined us - hopped up on the mat floor and gave it her all.
I'm feeling proud to be providing her with something I didn't have.  She sees me work hard, but she also sees me value my health and my time with my friends doing this. I'm feeling good about filling in a hole for her that I wasn't sure I was going to have the capability of patching.