it's not about the shoes

Why is it that the attitude and behavior of a five-year-old can turn a grown woman into a five-year-old?

"I don't know what shoes to wear!" As if this is life's greatest problem.

"If you don't get a pair of shoes on right now, I will take away all your shoes except one pair and you will not have a choice of what shoes to wear." As if this is the rational way of helping a child learn to make choices in the middle of a meltdown.

Actually, now that I think about it, not knowing what shoes to wear might be Punkin's biggest problem on any given day. And for that, I am grateful.

Sometimes these emotions and meltdowns come out of nowhere. And they take me by complete surprise. And sometimes I handle them poorly. But sometimes I don't. 

I think I may get a tattoo of He's only five! on my right hand so that I can see it often and be reminded that oftentimes my expectations of him are way too high (insert list of many, many other things besides above shoe example). And that he needs grace. I mean, really, who doesn't?

Wouldn't the world be a much nicer place if everyone responded in grace, rather than in impatience and frustration and lack of empathy? Can you even imagine?

And thankfully, tomorrow (or later today, really) will provide another chance to practice giving grace. I may not be able to change the world, but I can start changing myself...