Never too early and never too late.

Today I saw a woman playing with her two month old daughter in the indoor swimming pool, and ten minutes later breastfeeding the baby to sleep in the locker room, with her wet back toward the crowd. The baby, Sonya, may or may not grow up to be an Olympic swimming champion. But she most probably will be very comfortable in the waters, primed by her parents excitement, loving encouragement and yummy conditioning routine.

I have been very lucky to receive a similar introduction to math. All the way from the toddler years. Little daily challenges, support and excitement from our joint success in my parents eyes. I believed them that it is fun, simple and important, and I wanted to do it for me and for them. I am trying to repeat this now with my own kids, looking for the blurred line between hard earned achievement and exhausted aversion. Like a swim teacher pushing for additional 100 meters to let your body memorize the stroke moves.

Math, swimming or anything else. What if we have not had our chance back in childhood? If we never tried, failed or disliked? Can we wake up this potential joy? I believe that we can. At the age of 37, I have learned to love swimming. By accident. As part of a recent personal development resolution, a canceled lesson for my son has turned into my swimming lessons. I am still pretty bad, much worse than my 9 year old son. But I now have an affair with a pool. Once revolting, cold chlorinated waters now wink and flirt and I slowly give myself more and more by learning to trust them. I try to sneak in two-three times a week, excited from my achievements, feeling young and happy. So, perhaps it is possible. To get back the spirit of the youth by learning something we have missed back then. Something that may not have been presented to us properly, something that has withered before having a chance to bloom. My list only starts with swimming. What’s on your list?


Image courtesy of www.MikaMaya.com

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