Every person during some stage of their life have some self-doubt about the relevancy of their presence. I can tell you from my personal experience – yes, everyone matters!
You can see how a child glows when their parents watch them perform, whether it is singing in the school choir or gymnastics mock competition. You can also see how some kids panic when their parents are present even during training. Some kids behave well in a gymnastics class but act up when their younger brother/ sister join the same class. As coach, you want to make such “presence” a positive experience and indeed there will be times when you have to help modify how a child / parent’s action or reaction.
My mother was in a coma close to 20 years ago from a brain aneurism. The doctors told us to prepare for the worst but me and my sister didn’t give up – we took turns staying by her side despite the non-response. After 2-3 weeks in Intensive Care, my mom finally garner enough of a ‘positive’ reactiond to external stimulus to convince a doctor to operate on her. She magically recovered and has lived independently and fully for another 15 years before needing assisted care. My mother told us that she did feel our presence by her bedside during the weeks of coma.
You may think that you are just one of my many students but you are much more. Every response you made to the blog, every question or experiences you shared, every physical contact / interaction help shape or reconfirm my vision or methods. I take your successes and failures as my own and am constantly refine my teaching methods because of you! THANK YOU!
Do treasure the moments you spend with anyone. You can make a difference!
Exercise
Describe some unexpected encounters that positively changed you and/or vice versa.