Well? Can you?
If you're 3 or maybe 4 years old then the answer is YES.
If you're in your teen or pre teen years, or 40ish you probably won't answer.
At least that is what I witnessed yesterday after the question was asked. He didn't even answer. This is because he doesn't think he can draw very well. But he can. And he can also do many things really well; draw, write poetry, build intricate lego creations, take tests and ace them (oh, I'm so jealous of that) and play baseball or rather pitch a baseball.
Why does it seem that our society takes from us the very attribute that we need most as we get older?
Our confidence.
There are moments when my confidence is just out-of-whack because of disappointments and perceived failures and / or plain and simple exhaustion; not because I can't. (Because believe ME, if you chose to read more of my blogs you'll soon learn I've got a job I never thought I could do.) We try to teach the mini-wheats they can but sometimes it's our job to find the right vehicle/coach/mentor/or friend that can do it better.
Thankfully we've found one.
There's someone who has decided to use his talents and baseball skills to privately coach our slugger. He's investing in him when he needs it the most and he doesn't even know us very well. He can tell that after playing ball for years with older boys that he is talented yet, playing ball with older and bigger boys had a price tag too.
Cost: A bag of new baseballs.
That's a confidence builder for the entire family. It's confidence we're gaining in humanity on many levels. The skills are there in our slugger the confidence is not; or else we wouldn't be doing this.
I gain confidence in my Diabetes Online Community (DOC) especially when I think I can't get up another night at 3 a.m. I don't even really know these Moms who live all across the world... but usually when I need to be reminded that I can 'draw' - they should get that pun - they've been there for me. I'm guilty of writing that I'm too old to party all night with needles and dangerous drugs. But many nights have required just that to keep our daughter alive and away from the hospital. I've had to stop comparing our life with diabetes to theirs too. We're playing a different ball game and yet every single one of them deals with the same moments at one time or another; and even if they don't they're supportive as I'm learning to draw a different picture of our life.
You can draw. I appreciate the reminder yesterday that we need to stop listening to people who tell us we can't or shouldn't by way of comparing ourselves to others. It may take a different approach, waiting until it's our time, practicing, learning, trying but we can draw.
If I instill that one reminder for my mini-wheats to know I may have done my job well.
