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Monday, February 21, 2011

Getting Back to Climbing, Week 5

So, obviously I am a rock climber, and I write about my efforts to reclaim my climbing skills after having a baby.  The thing is, this isn't just about rock climbing.  It is about remembering who you are after you have a child, and trying to retain some of 'you'.

After I had the Kid, I realized that almost everything about how I defined myself had changed.  Actually, it didn't just change or morph, but most of those defining attributes disappeared.  I went from knowing exactly who I was and what I was doing, to this person who just had no idea what to do.  "I" had just vanished.  It took a year after the Kid was born to begin to search out those things that had always made me "me".
One thing I really missed was rock climbing.  For me it was climbing, but for another mom (or dad) it could be anything physical: yoga, running, snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing.  The activity varies from person to person, but the feeling, the drive, the need is the same.  For five or six years before I got pregnant, one of my defining characteristics was "rock climber".  That is what I did, that is how I met my husband, that is how we spent our weekends, the gym we went to in order to train during the week and in the winter, the magazines we read, the road trips we planned, and the friends that we cherished.  Rock climbing was a huge, huge part of our lives individually and together.
For me, getting back to the rock climbing gym was a tremendous step towards remembering who I was B.K.  - Before Kid.  And to getting back some part of who I was.  I do believe that I am a better parent, when I am a more fulfilled adult.  Additionally, I think that the Kid will benefit from being with a mom who has her own interests and passions.  The endorphins that I get from physical activity (that is meaningful to me) last me a few days, and give me the energy to be a good mom.

That being said.... I know you are on the edge of your seat... how did I do this week?

NO HANG BOARD.  No, I didn't do it.  Wha wha....    I flaked out on it.
Wednesday and Friday: family gym nights.

So, I did make it in two nights (aka late afternoons for those of you who don't have kids, for us, it is the night when you go to sleep around 8:30pm).  The Kid hung out with his wonderful babysitter; she really is the best and I am more than grateful for her.  I am not sure that I am feeling any stronger, but I am there.... climbing... and maybe that is all that matters.

Well, it is all that matters UNTIL SPRING AND I GET ON REAL ROCK!

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