Brody got into a plate of cookies while I was showering the other day and decided it would be fun to grind them in the Victorian strainer all over the house. This act, on top of an already intolerably cluttered and disorganized mess of a house, threw me over the edge. In response to this, I was so cranky for the rest of the afternoon that when my seven and ten year olds came home from school with smiles on their faces, I quickly found a way to remove those smiles with my winning attitude. Needless to say, I made the lives of my children miserable for a few hours. When one of them finally broke down and started crying, I had a revelation.
I have a profound effect on the atmosphere of this home. They may not always obey or act considerate, but they are certainly conscious of my mood.
I took a few minutes to reconsider my behavior and how my family reacts to it and decided to sit my kids down and apologize for my raging anger. Let me share with you how the sweet things responded.
I said to them, "Look, I'm sorry. I'm not dealing very well with all the mess and crazy schedules we are living with. I am tired and it's making me frustrated. I was mad, so I wanted to make everyone else mad too. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry, and I will try harder to be more patient. Will you please forgive me?"
In response to my poor excuses,
Isaac replied "It's really my fault. I should clean up after myself better".
Corbin said "I still love you so so so much, even when you are really mad."
Jackson offered " It's okay, mom. You just need to run at the gym for a little while, then you will feel better-and maybe send Brody away (with a slight gleam in his eye)."
Brody hollered happily "Away?!"
While I realize I have a long way to go as far as being a better parent, I am so glad to have the chance to raise them and be in their company.The forgiving natures of these children astounds me. While I make mistake after mistake, they let it go time and again. Of course, while it would probably be more beneficial if I never got angry ever, I am trying to look at it in a positive light. I am not a perfect mother, and the worst thing I could do is teach them that there is such a thing. How would that effect their future relationships to expect perfection? I hope to see them hold on to their understanding qualities as they mature, but in the meantime I'll be adding patience to my new year's list of resolutions.
(A little forgetfulness on their part would be beneficial as well, don't you think?)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
i have had this very same experience myself. i think most moms have. it's refreshing, enlightening, and even still, a teeny bit depressing all at the same time.
i loved reading this. i felt validated. moms should talk like this more often.
You are so cute. But you are perfect for them, right?
unconditional love can see the best in anyone (even when they aren't acting their best) and children are the ones to bring us back down and remind us of that simple thing in life that we can give: Love.
Post a Comment