Letting Go

Sometimes, I have no patience for my kids.

Sometimes I don't want to be silly or let them ride the merry go round for the 7th time or let them play for just 5 more minutes before bed or read them yet another story or tickle them until they can't stand it any longer or watch them run around in circles until they fall down dizzy or play in giant rain puddles.

But then I realize how much happiness it brings them and then sometimes, just once in a while, I let them.

And even though the practical part of my brain knows that being cold and wet for so long can give them pneumonia or that dank standing water can carry all sorts of bacteria and that I shouldn't teach my kids that it's okay to play in rain puddles, I couldn't help but feel my heart swell as I watched Ronan yesterday, so full of joy and excitement, as he splashed through the puddles in the driveway and was quickly joined by Gretchen. They were thrilled.

And so was I. We only want our kids to be happy, and if that means breaking the rules once in a while, so be it.

But I still made him eat his asparagus at dinner.