Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Never Give Up!

I adore these Converse shoes. Unfortunately, I'm too old to wear them. But my daughter isn't.
A while back, I posted a little story about my daughter. Here it is:
As a parent I try to be a good example for my kids. Sometimes I forget, though, that they also can teach me a thing or two and have on more than one occasion. Today was one of those occasions.
As my daughter walked toward my car tonight lugging an enormous athletic bag, I was reminded of her perseverance and determination. Bright-eyed and grinning from ear to ear, she climbed into the car and immediately began pulling item after item out of the bag."We wear this for practice. We wear this for competition. We wear this over our uniforms," she rattled off without taking a breath. I smiled. Her dream had come true--she was a Golden Girl.
Now to fully appreciate why this was the answer I was looking for, you need to know where this story began. When my daughter was in fifth grade, she saw the Golden Girls (this is the high school drill team) perform and knew she wanted to be one of them. Two years later, she tried out for the the junior high drill team but didn't make it. We had a long weekend of her crying, me consoling, and friends offering sympathy. We all knew that if you didn't make it the first year, you'd never make it the second. And if you weren't a member of the junior high team, there was no way you'd ever be a Golden Girl.
After her tears quit coming, she bucked up and worked harder than she ever had. She sought out advice from other dancers, practiced non-stop, and prayed for the next year. She was the only one in the history of her junior high to not make it the first year and still try out the second. And guess what--she made it! And then a year later, she tried out for the Golden Girls and made that, too. She never gave up. She never doubted. And she never said: I can't.
So, why should I?

18 comments:

Rae said...

That's a great story and it says a lot about your daughter. Her determination will take her far.
Looks like she had an excellent example in her mother.

Excellent post!

Anonymous said...

That's an awesome story about your daughter and a testament to you.

I love the optimism of kids and the "never give up attitude".

I used to have this optimism, but I seem to have misplaced it. Maybe I'll find it again, someday.

Clementine said...

Ahhh, I love stories like that! Thanks for sharing.

Heather Sunseri said...

That's a great story, Susan! We all can learn something from your daughter. Good for her!!

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Oh, that's wonderful! Don't your kids make you so proud sometimes? How great for her--for recognizing a goal and never giving up :D

Janna Leadbetter said...

That's an excellent encouragement! And you know what? It mirrors my own experience with high school showchoir. All I need to do is remember my perseverance and will (and throw in lots of prayer), and I'll already have a leg up. :)

Great post.

Lillian Robinson said...

Wonderful story! She can do anything!

Danyelle L. said...

Good for her for trying even though she didn't think she'd make it. :D

Jody Hedlund said...

Thanks for sharing that story! It went really well with my post for today, didn't it! I guess we're thinking the same!! We just can't give up!

Jennifer Major said...

Susan - What a terrific little lady you have! She is an inspiration to us all who read your story today! And, you know, it has been said by many successful writers that the key is to never give up. Thank you so much for sharing!

Deb said...

Beautiful story--what a trooper! Congrats from me!

Eileen Astels Watson said...

That's an encouraging story. Your daughter could teach us all something about perseverence. Thanks for sharing!

Jennifer Shirk said...

Oh, I LOVE that story!

Anonymous said...

Congrats to your daughter on her awesome accomplishment and perseverance, and congrats to you as her mom for raising such an awesome individual! :)

AiringMyLaundry said...

This is a fantastic story. Congrats to your daughter!!

Susan R. Mills said...

Thank you all for your comments. Yes, I agree, my daughter is wonderful, and I'd like to take credit for her determination, but I can't. As much as I hate to admit it, that's one quality she got from her dad. (Don't tell him that, though. I love him dearly, but his head is already big enough!)

Glynis Peters said...

Well done to your daughter and to her parents, who supported her.

p.s You are never too old, buy a pair and wear them. Your daughter never said 'I can't' LOL

JAlexander said...

Fantastic story! We can learn a lot from our kids.

(I tried fixing my e-mail thing. Let me know if it worked.)