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Monday's menu for gratefulness turns the lens on
SOMEONE
I am grateful for.
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| G365 4/365 Someone to be grateful for on a Monday. |
I could have started with my husband, kids, extended family
or friends,
but today I am actually thankful for a
stranger
we met at the park.
She was there with her kids
and they had ingeniously
repurposed a cardboard box
into a makeshift
multiperson sled
to speed down
the scalped grass hills.
When Ems asked to join in on the fun,
they were gracious and made room for her.
When Ems asked to join in on the fun,
they were gracious and made room for her.
One of the reasons we personally
like this park is because of
how steep the hills are.
They are great for rolling too.
But I am not just thankful for the
creative spirit of this mom.
Nope, I am thankful because
she put me in my place
and had every right to do so.
Since I am as old as I am
and have had as many kids as I have
and have done as many things as I have,
I sometimes(mistakenly)
begin to think I know a thing or two
and feel compelled to share what I think know
with someone who never asked
to know what I know.
It is actually a pet peeve of mine
when others do it to me,
and as old as I am,
it's been done a lot.
In fact one of my goals
as a future mother-in-law
when it comes to advice,
is to keep my mouth shut
unless asked to do otherwise.
Even then, to keep it short
and to the point.
You see, she was telling her somewhat
over exuberant child to run
each time he was disobedient.
Not a bad strategy,
certainly a much more positive one
than others I have witnessed.
Having taught in classrooms
a bit, and caring for other's kids,
especially ones with sensory integration issues,
I have seen how that strategy can backfire,
since cardio exercise will often
perpetuate high energy levels.
So I pondered in my head for a while,
if I should say anything.
I really wasn't going to say
anything,
but my savior complex kicked in,
and I just couldn't help asking,
"So does the running thing work for you?"
She responded that it was something
new they were trying
as an alternative to time outs.
This is where I should have left it,
but I didn't.
"Well,..."
Because this type of unsolicited advice always starts with,
"Well,..."
Before I could really finish my sentence though,
she responded that
this was how they did things
and thanked me for my "input".
Ouch.
It was warranted though,
I truly believe I deserved it.
She didn't know me.
I didn't know her or her child,
and most importantly
she had not asked for my opinion,
or "input".
Thankfully I had enough wherewithal to not keep talking.
As their little family left the park a few minutes later
(they had already been getting ready to leave
before my social faux pas, by the way)
I simply thanked her for her
wonderful idea about the cardboard box sled.
Little did she know I was thanking her
for something far more significant:
a reminder to treat others,
the way I want to be treated,
to be the person I want to be
and think I am.
Usually, anyway.
Oh, and if anyone wants to hear
what my alternative to running was,
feel free to ask.
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