Take a Breath

It’s quite difficult to maintain composure in the face of some of the things your children decide to do. But, it is important to try for your sake and for theirs. My three year old decided to spray me in the face with the hose yesterday. Point blank range. Kill shot. Just as I started to react negatively I caught myself, wiped the water off my face, and took a breath. That breath allowed me to compose myself and realize that he really didn’t mean to spray me in the face and was just figuring out how the hose works and how to aim it. Victor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning) says, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” Now, this practice doesn’t come easy, and I am no pro, but I am working on it. My anger shifted to amusement and I laughed it off. I watched his expression shift from fear of doing a bad thing, to happy he wasn’t in trouble. He apologized and went on with his business of spraying the chalk off the driveway and watering everything within range. Everybody won. Especially the grass and trees.