Jumping Rope

Ah, the simple joys of jumping rope. Remember the tunes we use to sing?

"I know something, But I won't tell. Three little monkeys, in a peanut shell. One can read, And one can dance, And one has a hole, in the seat of his pants!"

And then there were all the different jump rope games... jump the river, helicopter, cat, and mouse...the list goes on.

It wasn't until a couple of years ago when I was at the gym and the instructor said, "grab a rope and jump for 10 minutes to warm up." I immediately thought "holy shit there is no f'ing way!" You know that feeling. In the split second, my light bulb went off and I asked myself "why did I ever stop? didn't I use to love to jump rope?" The truth was that at some point, I did stop...it wasn't about why I stopped doing something I love, it was about why not start again? And so I did. Let me just say, it wasn't pretty and jumping rope doesn't come easy.

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The bigger question I ask is simple, "why do we give up doing something we love?" Is it because our significant other doesn't share the same interest? or we have to get the kids to soccer practice?...there are a million reasons why not.

It comes down to putting all those "other things" first. Before our own joy. The things in life that make our hearts sing.

Last Christmas, Santa Steve delivered me my Huffy yellow bike. Three speeds, no more, no less. I started riding again. Translation: At the young age of 63, I gave myself permission to feel like a kid again, do something that fills my heart with joy. Just for me.

My very cool yellow bike and I are on a first-name basis. Even though she has bucked me off several times of late, I hold no grudges. The moment I hop on her, I feel like I am that 7-year-old girl again speeding down Radnor Road without a care in the world. My goal this year is to get to the point where I can ride without holding onto the handlebars. Wish me luck with that one.

May we all give ourselves permission to feel the feelings of joy. To do the things we love that make our hearts sing. To put ourselves first. It is a commitment and can be hard work, and yet, so worth it!