Ski Trip Numero Uno

Since Middle School my mom has always run either a school ski program or a community ski program. Those programs are a great way for kids to learn how to ski because they get group rates which makes skiing more affordable. I've been grateful that for the past few years, my kids have been able to participate in the community ski program since my mom was still running it. I helped out as a chaperone, but until this year I had NO idea how much work it took to put something like that together.

My mom approached me this year and just said that she didn't think she would have time to run the program again since she also teaches school full time and runs the High School ski program. I quickly volunteered to run the community program myself.

How hard could it be, after all?

Answer: pretty hard. It has taken so much time, energy and brain power to put this thing together. I really just had no idea. The planning, the coordinating, the communicating, the book keeping and the actual trips themselves. We have nearly 100 kids this year (which is double what we had last year) and 6 chaperones.

Yesterday was our first ski trip and for the most part, things went fine. I've gotten quite a few emails from parents thanking me for putting the program together and giving their children the opportunity to ski. There were a few glitches, mainly communication issues that caused some confusion and frustration for some. Nothing major, but issues nonetheless.

I received an email late last night from an upset parent for one such issue and it has really surprised me at how much it has bothered me. I think I responded to the email well and we went back and forth a few times to sort things out. In the end, the issue was resolved and things are fine, but it still really bothers me that there was an issue to begin with.

I am not a patient learner. I want to know how to do something and do it well right away. "Practice makes perfect" is a phrase I've never liked (even though I tell it to my own kids). I don't want to practice. I don't want to learn from my mistakes. I don't want to make mistakes. I want to do it right the first time and the second time and the third time and all the times. And I guess that probably explains why I'm so hard on myself. Why I think about things over and over and over in my mind when something goes wrong. Why I have a hard time just "letting it go".

I need to be nicer to myself. Focus more on what I do right. Be more understanding of the learning process. And be. more. patient with myself.

How do you teach yourself to be patient with yourself?

That is the question of the day.