Creating Courageous Children

This morning Shanghai and I walked past the place where Brosden and I had been just a few mornings ago. I felt my son again, and saw him playing just like he did Thursday morning......and I thanked myself for having the courage and strength to say, "I'm sorry".

It's not about not making mistakes, but about being courageous enough to take responsibility for them once they're made.....and developing the strength to have this courage does make a WORLD of difference.

The very same day I so perfectly parented the, "Bossy Bella v. Bratty Fia" typhoon of tears, I massively mishandled something Brosden did wrong......the SAME day! I lost my cool and even had to walk away from him for a couple of hours.

I wanted to keep blaming him for my reaction, but I could still see the hurt look on his face and knew I had to own up to my part in causing that if I was going to be able to not bring the garbage of 2 hours ago into the present. After I cooled off I asked him how what I did made him feel, and he told me it scared him.

Outer strength and beauty means nothing if it doesn't translate to inner strength and inner beauty, and I apologized for being ugly and scaring him.

Then I apologized to him again in front of his sisters, stating that no matter how angry I let someone make me, I am responsible for how I react, and their brother didn't deserve my reaction.

If I love him, then I treat him lovingly even when I'm not in a loving mood.

.......and this is how relationships change, from bad to good, and from good to great.

This had happened last weekend, and on our "Dad & Son" walk Thursday before school, we felt closer than we ever had, instead of farther apart. Now we are doing even more things together.

Before we left he noticed how the trees were swaying in the breeze.

I pulled him to my side and placed my hand over his heart, and we swayed together with the rhythm of the trees. When he asked what we were doing I told him we were connecting with nature.

And I thanked myself for having the courage to say, "I'm sorry".