And I don’t just mean when it comes to food. I’m learning that the hardest part of being a parent is knowing what to say when life lifes. When games are lost, when small humans are worried about big things, when you’re trying to encourage someone to believe that the world is limitless while knowing that it’s also full of disappointment.

How can you be their biggest cheerleader and also a realist at the same time?

I mean, full disclosure, I am my child’s biggest fan. Biggest cheerleader, biggest advocate and most likely to tell him how amazing he is. Because I think he is AMAZING. But the better he gets at things, the harder the competition is, and the more often he faces adversity, and challenges, and losses. And that’s hard. For me, and for him. The me part of me wants to find the bright side. The mom part of me wants to make sure he doesn’t experience challenges- but if he does, I want to make him feel better and grow and learn. But losing can be hard. It can be tough. It can be disheartnening. So, as a parent of an amazing child, what do you do? What should I do?

I don’t know, and I don’t think any parent knows. But I’m trying. The phrase, “Pressure is a a privilege” has recently become a mantra. Billie Jean King first said it so it feels apt for a tennis family. And reflecting on my own life, it’s so true. So it feels appropriate to pass it on. Pressure creates diamonds and pressure is a privilege- it means people think you can…and maybe they expect you to DO as well. It’s not a bad thing.

We also talked about the poem, “If” by Rudyard Kipling. Again, it’s on the wall at Wimbledon Centre Court so it felt… right. If you don’t know it, it’s worth reading.

Also, I baked cookies this week. Kitchen Sink Cookies and Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies from the 100 Cookies book by Sarah Kieffer. Sarah’s blog “A Vanilla Bean Blog” is amazing! The cookbook is too.

This week has been challenging. There’s a lot going on- on every level, in every orbit of my life. From the National Guard on the streets of DC to my small person worrying about his tennis match, it hasn’t been easy. But pressure truly is a privilege and we are holding on!