Dear Rose # 52 - The Same Trampoline Twice: Kids, Bravery, and the River of Change

Rose is an amalgam of us - women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who are looking for somewhere they are seen, heard and listened to.

Dear Rose,

Today my niece and nephews came around for a play. They haven’t been here since the infamous sleepover where sleep was not had and my niece broke her arm falling off the trampoline. But she is such a trooper; she was ready to get back on the tramp today. I love watching girls be brave.

The second time she went on the trampoline (which I had to watch through the gaps in the fingers covering my eyes because there were three wild kids jumping erratically and I kept thinking the worst), she hurt her shoulder a little bit.

She instantly wanted to leave the trampoline, saying, ”Every time I come to your house and jump on the trampoline, I hurt myself.” Yay. When she grows up, she’ll associate Aunty Emma with pain.

I wanted to tell her about a quote I’d read earlier this morning: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” I wanted to let her know that we are constantly changing, and so is our environment, so her “always” thinking isn’t really true or helpful.

But that seemed a bit deep for a girl eighteen days from turning six. So, I said it to some adult friends a bit later in the day, and they appreciated the wisdom.

Love, Em xx