a cat a kid and a mom.
This week a poem has been calling to my stubborn heart saying, "Megan, Megan, take a good look at yourself."
A CAT, A KID, AND A MOM
"Why can't you see I'm a cat," said the cat,
"And that's all I ever will be?
Why are you shocked when I roam out at night?
Why are you sad when I meow and I fight?
Why are you sick when I eat up a rat?
I'm a cat."
"Why can't you see I'm a kid?" said the kid.
"Why try to make me like you?
Why are you hurt when I don't want to cuddle?
Why do you sigh when I splash through a puddle?
Why do you scream when I do what I did?
I'm a kid."
"Why can't you see I'm a mom?" said the mom.
"Why try to make me wise?
Why try to teach me the ways of a cat?
Why try to tell me that 'kids are like that'?
Why try to make me be patient and calm?
I'm a mom."
-Shel Silverstien
I am happy to say that I'm growing. I'm stopping myself from displaying hypocrisy at every turn. While I'm asking them to learn, I'm requiring the same from me.
Duke and I are changing the way we approach bedtime. We're changing our discipline tactics. We're taking a harder road which we believe will take our family to a more lovely destination.
Now that I'm listening, they're teaching me all about their world.
-a forgotten world of sliding down car windshields before driving anywhere and placing stuffed animals perfectly before sleeping at all. When I stop and listen, what they do sort-of starts to makes sense. They were never being defiant at all. Just being kids.
Iggy threw all the costumes, mattresses, and bedding down the stairwell.
I was irritated because he's done this before and I thought he'd learned something since last time. I was irritated but calm. I listened. I helped with kind, willing hands, and I noticed something amazing. All of the hard costumes (swords, shields, armor, etc.) were placed gently aside and excluded from the mess. I asked him why he hadn't thrown those things down, too. He replied, "Well it wouldn't have been very nice to be so loud and wake up my brothers."
Wow.
He has learned something. Really learned something. He made a kind choice. Because he is kind. And he is becoming aware of the impact of his actions on others.
Cats can be tame.
Kids can be considerate.
And mothers can calmly exchange disappointed scowls with hopeful smiles. If they try.
A CAT, A KID, AND A MOM
"Why can't you see I'm a cat," said the cat,
"And that's all I ever will be?
Why are you shocked when I roam out at night?
Why are you sad when I meow and I fight?
Why are you sick when I eat up a rat?
I'm a cat."
"Why can't you see I'm a kid?" said the kid.
"Why try to make me like you?
Why are you hurt when I don't want to cuddle?
Why do you sigh when I splash through a puddle?
Why do you scream when I do what I did?
I'm a kid."
"Why can't you see I'm a mom?" said the mom.
"Why try to make me wise?
Why try to teach me the ways of a cat?
Why try to tell me that 'kids are like that'?
Why try to make me be patient and calm?
I'm a mom."
-Shel Silverstien
I am happy to say that I'm growing. I'm stopping myself from displaying hypocrisy at every turn. While I'm asking them to learn, I'm requiring the same from me.
Duke and I are changing the way we approach bedtime. We're changing our discipline tactics. We're taking a harder road which we believe will take our family to a more lovely destination.
Now that I'm listening, they're teaching me all about their world.
-a forgotten world of sliding down car windshields before driving anywhere and placing stuffed animals perfectly before sleeping at all. When I stop and listen, what they do sort-of starts to makes sense. They were never being defiant at all. Just being kids.
Iggy threw all the costumes, mattresses, and bedding down the stairwell.
I was irritated because he's done this before and I thought he'd learned something since last time. I was irritated but calm. I listened. I helped with kind, willing hands, and I noticed something amazing. All of the hard costumes (swords, shields, armor, etc.) were placed gently aside and excluded from the mess. I asked him why he hadn't thrown those things down, too. He replied, "Well it wouldn't have been very nice to be so loud and wake up my brothers."
Wow.
He has learned something. Really learned something. He made a kind choice. Because he is kind. And he is becoming aware of the impact of his actions on others.
Cats can be tame.
Kids can be considerate.
And mothers can calmly exchange disappointed scowls with hopeful smiles. If they try.
Comments