Saturday, May 19, 2012

Last night I wrote a treatise on the difference between like and love and was all prepared to publish it this morning.  Then I read the thing and wanted to barf.  Like I know!

I spent yesterday actively NOT honoring that little boy with the "crappy" parents (the one who came flying off his horse) by screeching at my kids.  They had spent the previous night with my parents and got to do lots of fun things like drive Grandpa's "Porch" around the yard, Henry got to taste some nice hand soap for telling his brother to move the f*ck over so HE could drive the "Porch" and, of course, they got to stay up late.

The great thing about Grandparenting is that there are really no rules. Which is exactly as it should be. They get to ply the children with cookies, kisses, hugs, pizza, soda, etc. They forgive (almost) every misdeed and proudly display unfortunate school pictures in every room of the house.  Make no mistake this is a universal principle:  Grandparents love getting back at their own kids by these tried and true methods.

And would we have it any other way?

So while I was screeching at the kids yesterday, I thought of that "crappy" mother from the previous night. I thought, she's probably not that bad. She's just lost. Just like I was lost yesterday.  Grumpy, tired, floundering.   The lesson I took away from slamming her was, "shut the hell up until I'm perfect" which will be never.  Have compassion because it transforms everyone and everything it touches.

Just like soap.

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