Having to Say No to a Friend

Skiing yesterday, I saw an old friend who put me on the spot a little bit and I found myself having to say no to her. I'm not sure what to make of it, but it's not the first time. My friend has two sons who are learning to ski, and she had them in lessons but the lessons were not optimal because there are so many kids in the class that they get lost in the shuffle.

She doesn't ski herself, so she can't take them up, so she asked me to take her son up and ski down with him. My problem is I'm teaching our kids to ski and focus on making sure they're okay, so it's hard to watch another kid and to be responsible for them. If it was just me, I might be more inclined, though still reluctantly, but watching more is a challenge, especially when I want to give all my attention to my kids.

So I essentially said NO, and I could tell it peeved her a bit. What was I supposed to do? I told her we'll see how it goes, but the truth is, he's never skied the chair and it could be intimidating, and I kind of resent being put on the spot.

We'll see how this plays out, though I know I've re-inserted myself into her Hall of Shame. I seem to be good at this. On the other hand, I'm relieved that I did, because if I had to be responsible for her son on the hill, I'd be kicking myself and dwelling on it. Sometimes it's a relief when I can actually assert myself, because it's such a rare instance.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.