We can learn a lot from our kids. My daughter has a strong case of Pollyanna-ism. Not all the time – believe me when I say she can have her grumpy moments but she never ceases to amaze me with her sweet disposition and positive outlook when I think she has every right to be mad.
A few minutes ago she walked up to me with small special box in one hand, a bow in the other, and a frown on her face. “The boys ripped my bow off my box.”
I sighed and reached for the bow trying to determine if fixing was a possibility when she smiled. “That’s okay. It looks pretty without the bow and I can use the bow for the present inside.”
What? What about justice? What about fairness? What about the box being the way you originally wanted?
Nope she just pushed it all aside and accepted what she had and found the good in that.
This isn’t the first time either. A few weeks ago she brought to me one of her Polly dresses that the dog had managed to chew off an arm. She held it up to me as her eyes filled with tears. “Mom, look…”
Growing frustration without puppy boiled over in me. How could something so adorable cause so much grief? (BTW – my frustration wasn’t about the dress as much as the compiling of the dozens of thing he’d already chewed.)
Before I could react, she snatched it from my hand and smiled. “That’s okay. I have always wanted a dress with just one sleeve.”
Oh sweet girl you teach me so much about justice, fairness, and most importantly grace. May I be better about accepting the situations I am given, even if at times it doesn’t feel fair.
What about you? Are you the eternal optimist or do you struggle with the desire to be right and life to be fair?