My grandson Charlie a teenager, was taking the train to New York City from Connecticut.   My immediate reaction was, What if he gets lost? What if he can’t  find his friends?  What if he misses the train?  What if….?  What if….?

What if……?  My husbands least favorite words.  What if this….?   What if that…….?”  And every time those words leave my mouth, Arty looks at me like I’m nuts.Yet, I keep saying it!     Am I trying to control?  Is it out of fear?

I let these words resonate, What if WHAT?  What if the sky should fall and in reality what if Charlie did get lost or couldn’t find his friends? He has a cell phone, he speaks the language, isn’t afraid to ask & has proved to be capable, reliable & adaptable.  And it dawned on me that it’s OK if he did get lost…he’ll handle it & he’ll have the benefit of a new learning experience. After all, isn’t life a continuing learning experience?

What would our lives be like if we didn’t have learning experiences both good & bad?Would we be fulfilled?  Would we grow?  How would we understand what really going on?

The “what if” I should be concerned with is what if we never let anyone have the opportunity to learn new things or experience new situations. Charlie made the train, met his friends & got home without incident and without me interceding. He learned how to do it. It was a successful learning experience for both of us.

Keep on Dancin’!