The Adventures of Harley and Harper

What a soccer game for the eight-year-old twins! The teams were tied going into the second half. After an exciting few plays, Harley kicked the winning goal! Harper ran toward him to give a high-five.

 “Good job, Harley!” Blue-eyed Harper smiled with a missing front tooth. 

 “Thanks, Sis!” Harley replied, swiping his sweaty strawberry blonde hair from his eyes.

To celebrate, Mom and Dad took them for ice cream. Though they were identical twins, they had quite different tastes in ice cream. 

Harper sat down next to Mom with her chocolate cone and chocolate sprinkles, and Harley took a seat by Dad, licking his vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles.

Enjoying their treats, Dad asked, “Hey, how is everyone doing with their resolutions?” Reminding the twins of the first New Year's Eve that they were allowed to stay up until midnight. 

Harper slumped in her seat.

Harley pounded his chest, “I’m crushing mine!” He grinned, his being to eat all the vegetables off his plate. But he chose not to mention that he hardly touched his peas at school. 

Dad laughed. He had chosen ‘giving pickleball a try,’ but it was a rocky start. “How about you, Harper?”

Harper stared at her cone in disappointment, not wanting to share.

Mom could sense her daughter’s mood shift and spoke next. “I think we can agree that mine is a success. I already have next Tuesday’s game picked out.” Her weekly game nights were a big hit with everyone. She brushed Harper’s hair off her shoulder. Rubbing her back, she encouraged her to share.

Harper sighed, “She doesn’t want to be my friend.”

Dad remembered her resolution had been to befriend the new girl who plays alone at recess, “Did she say that?” 

“She never says anything back to me!” Harper blurted out, “She just stares at me. I’m never talking to her ever again.” She took a bite of her cone in frustration.

Harley felt bad for his twin, his own guilt for not eating his peas creeping up. “I…I didn’t finish my peas at lunch yesterday, or most days…” He bowed his head in defeat.

Mom watched them pout, “Kids, do you remember when Dad first tried pickleball?”

Harley nodded, “He rolled his ankle.”

“Yep. His first time trying his resolution and he rolled his ankle. But what happened last week?”

“He said it had healed and he played again,” Harper muttered. 

“Exactly. It definitely didn’t go how he wanted at first, but he didn’t give up. What about me? I’ve lost every game so far,” she laughed, “but have I stopped family game night?”

The twins stopped eating their treats and looked at each other in thought. 

Dad joined in, “Part of having a resolution is to learn how to ‘resolve’ a problem. Resolve means to find a way to overcome an obstacle, a solution. If we give up at the first obstacle, how are we supposed to get past it?” 

Mom spoke next. “Harper, that girl might have a hard time communicating or may struggle with English. It’s Valentine's Day next week. Why don’t you offer a friendship bracelet trade? You can do that with almost no words. Harley, I know that peas are not your favorite, but there are lots more veggies out there. How about we try asparagus tonight, something new?”

The twins thought about how their mom handled her losses without pouting. Next, they thought of how their dad tried pickleball again after his injury healed.

Looking at each other, they held out a hand, “Let’s try again.” They said in unison, excited to stick to their resolutions.

Did you make a New Year’s resolution? How is it going? Have you run into a similar problem? If you need help or encouragement, talk to your parent, a sibling, or a resolution buddy. It is okay to have a hard time. It is okay to ask for help. Just don’t give up on yourself. 

Brittany Richards is a full-time Marco Island resident passionate about all things literary. Creating stories as soon as she could read and write, she seeks to inspire the next generation to put down the screen and pick up a book. Whether as a nanny, camp counselor, or gymnastics coach, she has a history of working with children. She looks forward to combining her two joys with The Adventures of Harley and Harper. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling to new destinations, boating with her husband, or cuddling up with her dogs.