Once when my kids were little I read some parenting advice that I should say "yes" to them whenever I could. Find a way to say yes. I took it to heart. My natural response was to say no. I can always see the reasons why a thing won't work or another time would be better. But I found that sometimes if I took a breath to pause before answering, I could indeed say yes. At least yes to some part of what they were requesting.
As an older woman I again had to learn to say yes. Yes to myself. Yes to others. Yes to life. To open rather than to close. Even when there is a potential for danger or hurt. Because those same situations hold the potential for wonder and love.
I still have a tendency to say no. Not now. Maybe later. And now I sometimes follow my newer habit. Breathe. Take a moment. See if there is a yes I can say right now.
sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment