There are three slides at our closest playground. On our very first trip, Kinsley, at two and a half, learned to climb up the twisty slide, following her brother. Last winter, boots and all, she mastered the tunnel slide that Zoe now climbs on the outside of. And then there’s the metal slide.

It’s tall and steep. The first time Kinsley slid down she flew right off the end and landed in a heap on the ground, more surprised than hurt. She wasn’t in too much of a rush to slide down again. Going up, that was different.

Climbing up the slide was impossible, even for my monkey girl. She would start up, land on her belly, and come right back down. She would ask over and over again for someone to help her, but that wasn’t really what she wanted. She knew how to be at the top of the slide, go up the ladder. What she really wanted was to master the climb.

One bright shining morning, not too long ago, Kinsley climbed the slide. No fanfare, no celebration, just a small smile before she flew back down it and ran off to chase Zoe.

Sometimes, we set our sights on something hard. We fail over and over again. That’s ok. Hard doesn’t mean impossible. Not yet doesn’t mean never. If it’s worth it, make it happen.