"Your children are not your enemies.
You need not fear them.
Differences with them are not battles
that you must win or lose.
If you lock yourself into seeming warfare,
all perspective becomes lost.
Terrible and hurtful things are said.
The whole family suffers
and the wounds are slow to heal.
Win and lose
are words a family does not need.
You do not have to battle for your authority.
Authority is something you have within yourself.
If your children do not see it,
that is a sorrow,
but you cannot force their seeing.
If you keep this in mind,
many of your battles will disappear.
Difficult times may remain,
but weapons of mass destruction
are no longer needed."
Today was not a good day. My patience--usually the one thing I feel I can count on--was gone. I often have moments where I wonder how I make it through the day, but this is one day where I'm genuinely surprised I did. I am sure that many parents go through this, and I'm confident that I'm not alone. But it doesn't prevent me from feeling I am, no matter who else is with me or what else is going on. Having struggled with such a feeling all my life, I've learned to use it to help me bring myself back to my center, back into balance. Maybe in the morning I'll find it again.
You need not fear them.
Differences with them are not battles
that you must win or lose.
If you lock yourself into seeming warfare,
all perspective becomes lost.
Terrible and hurtful things are said.
The whole family suffers
and the wounds are slow to heal.
Win and lose
are words a family does not need.
You do not have to battle for your authority.
Authority is something you have within yourself.
If your children do not see it,
that is a sorrow,
but you cannot force their seeing.
If you keep this in mind,
many of your battles will disappear.
Difficult times may remain,
but weapons of mass destruction
are no longer needed."
Today was not a good day. My patience--usually the one thing I feel I can count on--was gone. I often have moments where I wonder how I make it through the day, but this is one day where I'm genuinely surprised I did. I am sure that many parents go through this, and I'm confident that I'm not alone. But it doesn't prevent me from feeling I am, no matter who else is with me or what else is going on. Having struggled with such a feeling all my life, I've learned to use it to help me bring myself back to my center, back into balance. Maybe in the morning I'll find it again.
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