May the Force Be With You

So here is a not so secret and improbable dream of mine: I would really like to have some kind of superhero power. Not necessarily Superman or the Flash but Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Charlie McGee from “Firestarter”. Just that little extra bit of strength or mind manipulation (telekinesis) that could give me more control.

Because I am all about control.

Being the Mom of the Mud Puddle has taught me a books’ worth of things: good and bad. And the most glaring bit of news through the 7 years, 8 months, and 5 days I have been his mother is that the control I thought I possessed is really an illusion. I have very little control over anything of any importance.

If I could have that super-human control I so greatly desire I would probably use up my week’s allotment at gymnastics.

Side Bar: I believe there is a finite amount of certain things: Points any NBA team can score in a basketball playoff series, how quickly I can ever run 3 miles, vampire staking in a month or week.
So did Buffy have a ration of butt kicking? Would she get to Thursday and think: “Hope the vamps are taking a holiday I am fresh out of staking power?”
Could Luke only push his will using The Force on 12 jawas before he ran out of Force Juice (that would be metachlorines to my fellow Star Wars Geeks)?

The MP has been invited to attend the Gymnastics’ Pre-Team ‘boot camp’ this summer. If he does well the next phase of his gymnastics career will begin in earnest.
It will be less about fun and more about achievement. He will get stronger and better and will have to work really hard to be successful.

In the run up to the summer his current coach has been pushing him to learn new techniques and try new stunts. I am allowed to watch from the balcony and try and will him through whatever it is he is attempting.

An example: Monday night he and his classmate (which without a bit of bias I can say is always three steps behind the MP in ability and willingness to learn) were on the trampoline (Side Bar: he only wanted to do gymnastics in the first place because I would not let him have a trampoline) and his coach did a standing no-handed front flip. I believe the technical term is a ‘punch’.
I assumed he was just showing off.
And then the MP got up and did it. Holy crap! Equal amounts of fear and pride raced through me. His classmate got up, did nothing resembling a flip.

And it was the MP’s turn again. His coach this time demonstrated the move by jumping a good two feet off the tramp and flipping in mid air.
The MP took position.
I could almost see the trepidation coming off him like Pig Pen’s stink lines in a Peanuts cartoon.
I focused my full attention on him and repeated the silent mantra “just try it, just try it, just try it.”
He started bouncing on the tramp, got some really good (scary) air and flipped landing bent over but on his feet.

HE DID IT.

He looked up at me with a big grin on his face and a thumbs up. The trepidation was now joy and pride I could see radiating off him.
I don’t think for a second I had anything to do with him trying it but if I could, I would every time.