Clare has made it her mission this summer to master the monkey bars.  She’s started small – with a bar here and there and has slowly, slowly worked her way across most of the monkey bars in town.  Sometimes she’ll get across once and then struggle and fall every time after that.  The video above was on her very first time making across the monkey bars several times in succession.  She was so very, very proud of herself.  I was too. 

Yesterday the kids and I met Debbie and Maddy at a park that we don’t usually go to.  We were at the tail end of a really big and exciting weekend and the kids were tired and punchy.  Clare went over to the monkey bars and started her usual swing across.  Well, these monkey bars were tricky.  Not only were they 6 feet high and very long, they had a raised section so that about 3/4 of the way through the monkey bars went up about 3 inches.  Those 3 inches are huge when you’re a small child swinging along and every single time Clare got to that part of the bars she would fall down.  Every single time she would push and grunt and get 3/4 of the way across and then not be able to reach the bars, yelp a little bit, sometimes cry out for my help, but usually just fall down onto either her feet or her bottom.  Six feet down, mind you.  She would complain, whine, exclaim in frustration, and then get up, brush off her pants, and start the process over again.  She probably did this exercise a dozen times, until her hands were to sore and tired to hang onto the bars.  She put her head on my shoulder and cried with frustration and defeat.  My girl, such perseverance.  As much as I complain about her single-mindedness, her stubborn refusal to let things go, and her obstinance and rigidity, I know (hope and pray) that it will serve her well in life.  She’ll set her goal and work until she can’t hold on a minute longer to achieve it. 

I told her that I had never been so proud of her.  That she was the toughest, strongest girl in the whole world.  That I was so very, very lucky to be her mama.  That next time she would do it, or the time after that.  That getting across wasn’t nearly as important as trying as hard as she could.  I told her that her effort was beautiful and that she will do whatever she wants to but it may take a little longer than she would want.  I told her all of this with tears in my eyes, holding her tight.  My girl.  The toughest, strongest girl in the world.