Resolute

My kids are giggling uncontrollably and tossing a homemade beanbag back and forth. Their smiles are wide, their laughter infecting one another, egging them on.

I hear myself, tense, angry even, telling them to stop. Stop. STOP!

Their faces fall. The fun is over.

Why do I feel compelled to stop the silliness? I remember the mantra when my daughter was just two years old: Pick your battles. Was this beanbag game really a battle I needed to start? Probably not. They were being kids, playing a game . . . enjoying life.

I find it is always when my grown-up worries begin to overwhelm me that I try to stifle my children more. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Do I really want to add controlling everything my kids do to my long list of things to do today?

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