Full Circle Moments & Midlife Lessons
- kimwatt
- Aug 19
- 3 min read
Last night, my husband, our 15-year-old youngest daughter, and I went up to the park to practice batting. Just before we were done, Marie asked her dad if she could pitch to him.
She’s been taking pitching lessons for the past year, and this was the first time she asked her dad. It was one of those full circle moments. Mark used to pitch to his dad, and now Marie was pitching to him.
Doing It Just for the Joy of It
Here’s the thing about Marie: she enjoys softball, and she’s really good. She loves her time with her pitching trainer so much that she calls it her “therapy time.”
What I love about the way she’s approaching pitching is that she enjoys it. She hopes to maybe pitch in a game one day, but if she doesn’t, that doesn’t bother her.
She’s doing it simply because she wants to learn and she likes it. She’s confident in herself. She’s doing it just for her. She’s not trying to please anyone, and she’s not afraid of disappointing anyone.
Some might think it’s a waste of time or money because she “started late” or because she hasn’t even pitched in a game. Well, she did, one time in middle school, for one inning. But Marie doesn’t see it as a waste of time, even if she never pitches in a high school game.
It’s Never Too Late
If only I had learned this when I was her age! But it’s never too late.
So many of us, even in midlife, have been brainwashed to believe that if we’re not the greatest, if we don’t become millionaires doing it, or if we didn’t achieve it in our early 20s, it’s too late to try something new.
Really, think about that. Our brains are only fully developed at 25. When we let that false timeline dictate our lives, we miss out. We stop trying new things. We never know if we might like something or what other doors it might open.
We can do things just because we enjoy them-and we don’t have to be great at them.
Balance and Perspective
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be great at something too. It’s about balance.
And honestly, I feel like we’ve gotten out of balance—kids included. Kids today have so much pressure, taking high school classes in middle school, college classes in high school, sports, band, and all the other school activities. And we haven’t even touched on the pressure of social media.
I’m not judging; my kids have done it too, and yes, it can save money. When we had our first child, we thought she was Einstein, Mozart, and the next Olympic champion all rolled into one. (Talk about pressure. There are advantages and disadvantages being the oldest child.)
Parenting is so hard, and there’s no perfect way to do it. There’s no such thing as perfect parenting. One thing for sure: we will make lots of mistakes along the way.
Encourage, Don’t Pressure
We want to encourage our kids to try things and dream big, but we also want them to be okay with just being average. To do things simply for the joy of it.
There’s no rush. Each season of life has its own unique lessons. Life is busy and hard enough, and it goes by way too fast.
Midlife as an Example
So in midlife, let’s be the example. Let’s take the baby steps, deconstruct those old ideas and insecurities, and give ourselves permission to try something new-just for fun, just for you.
Let’s Dream Together
Looking for a therapist, midlife life coach, or speaker for your next event? Email me at kim@kimwatttherapy.comand let’s reignite your dreams together!
(Yes, her dad is wearing her softball helmet because this girl can crush the ball! And he’s not taking any chances.)
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