All three of our daughters learned to juggle when they were in middle school, and currently our youngest, Rose, is right in the middle of middle school. As an eighth grader in our school's LOL juggling ministry, and as one of my offspring, juggling is a big part of her life right now. I know, as she moves into high school and young adulthood, she may not pursue the 'family business' as much as she does now, but currently we are enjoying practicing, playing and performing together.

So a couple of days ago, it was not unusual that we hopped in our van and headed to our church where we could spend some time juggling together. One of the pleasures I've had recently has been my own personal improvement in juggling linear objects. Linear objects and props that require a rotation to be juggled: clubs, torches, tennis rackets and knives. Since 1985, I have battled repetitive motion injuries in my wrists, which has made juggling these types of props challenging. In recent years, the RMI made it virtually impossible to juggle linear props at all. Then, one day I was experimenting with adaptations that might help, and I hit upon it. I actually juggle better in my fifties than I did in my late forties.

This improvement has also made it possible for me to do partner juggling with Rose that I haven't done with anyone since 1997! Back then I had a student named Katrina (little did I know she would move into our home years later, and I'd be blessed with the privilege of giving her away at her wedding) who would pass clubs, machetes and flaming torches with me. By the start of the new millennium, I figured I'd never be able to do those tricks again. But that has all changed.

So the other day Rose and I passed clubs in our church's sanctuary for a while. Then I couldn't hold back any longer. I looked her in the eye and asked "Machetes?". After a little nervous chatter, we decided to give it a try. We started with stealing them from each other, also something I have not been able to do recently, then we went on to pass six machetes between the two of us. There was a definite learning curve - not one that included serious injuries - we were beginning to get it. We ended an hour later with a run in which we passed on four consecutive throws. Hardly at a level we can perform it, but a big step forward. I can't wait until we try again.