When I was little, I loved bowling. My parents took me to the lanes with them ever since I was old enough to stand, and they let me have a go at it. Back then there were no bumpers in the gutters, but it didn’t matter. The fact I got to roll the ball made me happy, and wherever it landed, I would jump up and down and make a happy fuss.

As I got a little bit older, I started to take it more seriously, and I only wanted to get strikes or spares. Of course, I would miss sometimes and it would really make me mad. Instead of a happy fuss, I made a mad one.

I’ll never forget my father’s words after one meltdown in particular when I said I was giving up the sport. I was sick of not being able to break a 100.

“Jennie, great bowlers become great bowlers because they love the game. They hone their skills, they get gutterballs, they learn from their mistakes. They mess up, but they never give up.”

The lesson has stuck with me in many ways throughout my life, and I think of it whenever something doesn’t go as planned. Love the journey. Keep working, learning, experiencing, and most importantly, keep going.

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