04/24/2026
My athletic grandson, who loves playing sports and always gives it his all, wanted to play our usual backyard soccer game while his siblings napped. I was feeling a little tired after a busy week, so I suggested the local playground instead. He’s almost seven, I thought—surely he’d be happy to play without his grandmother involved every second.
That was not how it went.
There was no sitting on a bench, smiling and watching like I had imagined. Instead, we sprinted back and forth across a full soccer field for an hour. Then came obstacle courses, monkey bars, and more slides than I could count. I joined him in all of it—ducking through slide tunnels, landing on my bottom more than once, while several parents, grandparents, and babysitters were watching from the picnic tables and benches
The version I pictured at first isn’t who I am. This is—and this is exactly the way I want it. Goal: to maintain strength and stamina for my grandkids! 💪💪👏⚽️
