"Mom, can we go tadpole hunting?"
When I hear a question like, "Mom, can we go tadpole hunting?", my knee jerk reaction is usually either "No", "Maybe later", or "Wait". I tend to first think of the mess that will come from the experience instead of the joy that it will bring. Unfortunately, if I don't allow the experience now, later may never come. So that my boys can experience the joys of childhood, I am working on saying "Yes" more often. The mess and dirt are temporary, the impact of moments like this last.
As I work on saying, "Yes" more often, I am watching my boys grow into men. Yes, there are footprints on my carpet and the laundry is piling up, but these boys will only be boys for a moment. Like tadpoles rapidly become frogs the boys are quickly becoming men. The laundry and footprints can wait for tomorrow, my boys can't.
The glories of childhood.
There has to be some in there!
"Do you see what I see?"
Is there something that you can say "yes" to, when your first reaction might have been "no"?