I am frequently amazed at the way life with competitive kids keeps me fighting. My toughest opponent? My pride.
Managing extracurricular life all on my own is my idea of a booster mom win. That is the game plan. But rarely does it turn out that way. Regardless of how prepared, organized and resourceful I try to be, I can’t do everything. And I sure can’t control everything.
I need help. And sometimes I just need help . . . accepting help.
This was one of those times. I had a dance company daughter, three younger children . . . and a husband on the road. Since Brent couldn’t make this performance, I enlisted the services of a gracious teen to oversee the little kids. That way I could double-time as spectator mom and backstage mom.
But no matter how hard I tried to cover everything, I had some slipups. I forgot the bobby socks for the fifties number. I failed to pin Katherine’s cap on securely enough, leaving her to tap-dance her way through “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” with a hat hanging down her face. I figured this recital would go down in Watts family history as “The Great Accessory Crisis.”
First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. Proverbs 16:18 (The Message)
It was quite the comedy of errors—but not all my missteps were so funny. In my haste to return to my seat, I tripped over one of the aisle risers. Soon after I sat down, I realized something was terribly wrong. It appeared I had actually managed to fracture a toe. As families began to file out of the auditorium, others noticed that the tears on my face were not those of a proud parent.
Including her. The Dance Company Mom.
She was one of those women who, for some reason, always intimidate the snot out of me. The kind who never seem to put a foot wrong. The kind who leave me feeling like a bumbling idiot by comparison. And here she was, bearing down on me in my moment of clumsy, blubbering helplessness.
Oh no. Can someone else help me, please? Anyone else?
Two are better than one because a good return comes when two work together. If one of them falls, the other can help him up. But who will help the pitiful person who falls down alone? Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (The Voice)
The great thing about gals like this is that they are the best people to have around in crisis. Before I knew it, she had everything under control. Someone was dispatched to round up my daughter and help carry costumes. Someone else ushered my children outside. Meanwhile, our sitter helped me limp to my car which—thankfully—she was licensed to drive. (Wouldn’t you know I disabled my pedal foot. I couldn’t even get home without help!)
Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors. Proverbs 29:23 (The Message)
In the days to come, I continued to lean on family and friends as I hopped around on my one good foot. I learned just how graceful life can become when we let others help.
I admit, it’s a step I’m still learning to master. Thankfully, I get lots of training on the sidelines of my children’s activities. That’s where I’m learning what it really means to be a “company mom.” And I’ve discovered that the real win as a booster mom—and a godly mom—comes from being a humble mom.
The kind who will leave her ego backstage.
The kind who will accept help when she needs it.
And who will be grateful for those who pick her up when she falls.
