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Mother's Relish
Giggles and Hugs Before Supper
By Julia Rosien
When I'm too hard on my children, Mom reminds me to enjoy their differences. She pulls me back from edge of anger and frustration, forcing me to see they are not deliberately being bad to make my life hard. "There are days," she says, "that it feels like they plot to 'get Mom today.' But they are just trying to find their way in life, and these detours are only teaching them how to read the map." My job as a mother is to help them read the map, not rewrite it.
I stand in my kitchen searching for inspiration for supper while I attempt to listen to a story, break up an argument and not step on another one playing with a puzzle at my feet. I try to hold onto Mother's wisdom. I try very hard not to lose my patience and give up. Then something happens; the chicken burns, and I sink to the floor, giggling and laughing. My children stand back, wary and unsure of this strange creature that looks like their mother but certainly isn't acting like her.
Thanks to my mother I know that these trivialities aren't worth the time it takes to get angry. I can turn off the food and spend 10 minutes playing with the kids before I decide how to handle supper. Thanks to my mother, I know that all problems are easier to solve after a round of tickles or a solid hug from little arms. And I know that cereal can be fun when supper is just too complicated to manage.
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