Sometimes the most frustrating things that can happen to someone who works to change events for others is the inability to do so for family. Not so much as an ‘inability’ but more of a “I need to sit back and let this play out” kind of feeling. It doesn’t mean that I don’t WANT to help, but it is a sense of knowing that this event is a period of growth for that loved one. Let me explain.
A few days ago, I wanted to listen to some music as I answered e-mails so I opened up my Spotify and up popped the ’70’s Soul genre. Given that I was in a good mood and felt this must be reminescence time (going back to my childhood) so I pushed play. The first song that comes up is “Somebody’s Watchin’ You” by an obscure musical band called Little Sister (of which was a branch of the Sly and the Family Stone conglomeration). I always loved the “wonk-wonk” of the funky guitar that is a signature sound for Sly, and the message contained in the song. Little did I know this song would be a message for things to come.
A family member is a part of an athletic team and we completely support them in any way we can, from fundraising to flying to see them perform. This athlete has been the recipient of some emotional and verbal abuse from another, yet smaller, team mate, and despite trying to be the bigger person, they would exit practices infuriated by the way they had been treated. Again. It all came to a head recently, where the athletes’ parents needed to get involved in first reporting to the coaches, then making comment to the other teammate’s parent, of how the teammate was behaving. In a nutshell, it became a hot mess with the behavior of the other parent.
The next week’s mediation between the parents and some of the coaching staff was not satisfactory, and our athlete was given Grace by the parents to do what they thought was best for their Soul. This athlete is not comfortable with returning to the team. What is most alarming is the three coaches and the team owner has not reached out to the athlete directly or indirectly through the parent. A relationship between a coach and an athlete is akin to a parent and a child. The parent pays for that coaches’ expertise to train that child into an athlete, and yet 4 grown women, on the week of International Women’s Day, cannot be the better person and contact the athlete directly and talk to them. The parents and others close to the athlete cannot understand why the coaches would not take the time to put closure to this – or their coaching relationship with the athlete. Ladies, your integrity is showing now.
I woke from a dream this morning with the thought of a Yew tree and that I had some reason to get a branch of it in my sleep. I am not in England nor follow English magical traditions, so a Yew tree is foreign to me. I brewed a pot of coffee as a male cardinal bird sat on a snowy branch in my back yard. I carried the cup up to my office and looked up the magical meaning of the Yew tree. Some websites say the Yew is one of the most magical trees for protection; other websites say the Yew is for changes in Life’s direction and path. Ancient Greece culture regards the Yew as a ‘protector of the Soul’. Interesting coincidences.
Somebody’s watchin’ Yew. Somebody’s watchin’ You.
