50 Bucks Says My Daughter Beats Your Daughter
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ”
When our 30-year-old daughter was in second grade, a friend of mine, who also had a second-grade daughter, was at a one-mile run at the all-city Elementary School “competition.” I helped Hannah learn to run longer distances by teaching her how to breathe, run heel-to-toe, and move her arms with the opposite knees. My goal was for her to finish the mile and do so without feeling nauseated. That is as much as I encouraged Hannah to achieve.
When the race started, my friend moved up to me and told me how he set up a regiment for his daughter when he heard about the competition. He talked about her dietary restrictions, her morning and evening run, making sure to alternate speed with distance, etc. His daughter’s outfit and expensive shoes would have been impressive for a college athlete. He even joked about a wager, knowing I was anti-gambling, but he would have laid down money if I had agreed.
I do not remember much about the race, other than being happy for Hannah because she finished, and my friend trying to control his anger when his daughter didn’t win. It was apparent my friend had turned his daughter’s second-grade race into an event about him. The way his daughter raced would somehow define him, his genetic strength, and his daughter’s ability to prove herself better than the other children.
We moved at the end of that year, and I never learned what happened to my friend’s daughter. Did she become an Olympic runner? I am confident the answer is “no.” I am more concerned about whether she became a self-actuated person who is emotionally healthy and happy. It is hard enough to please oneself without also carrying the burden of being responsible for a parent’s self-worth. Today, think about how you were raised and reaffirm your individuality. While we are all interconnected, we are accountable to God and not the random demands of others, even the ones we love. Today, pray for parents and their relationship with their children.
