We live in a wondrous world, where despite all our technology, a little thing like snow can make everyone stop, if only for a little while. I love snow days because they’re like little Sundays, little gifts of stopped time when a book might be read or a story, or a movie might get watched with everyone, which otherwise would not. It didn’t mean students didn’t need to study for tests, or work didn’t need to happen, it simply meant time wasn’t as structured or rigid as our schedules normally demand. It did make restarting the next day a bit harder. My second son missed the bus. My sixth grader worked slowly to get ready for school, and as such got into the car angry. She hadn’t eaten breakfast and didn’t like any of the bars or instant breakfast possibilities I presented. I groused about her being fussy when she was choosing not to eat something. Not my best mom move. She fumed in her seat. I struggled internally. The mood in the back seat of the car threatened to suffocate all conversation, all joy, but I knew talking would just add fuel to her irritation, so I tried to smile through it. It wasn’t working. Two blocks into the drive, her older brother offered her a banana. Now normally, my son Peter hoards bananas. Being a runner, he admittedly views all fruit as his first, and takes it personally when I parse out the fruit in the morning more generously than he prefers. His gift shocked her into softness. I told Peter to dig into my purse for any money I might have, so he could replenish his after-run snack at the local store. The only cash in my wallet turned out to be a ten. I told him to keep it and joked that he’d sold a ten-dollar banana. My other son dryly offered his banana to Peter. The gift and the joke made my daughter’s mood permanently better. She sang the songs on the radio from that point forward. Last Small Success, I talked about little things with great love, and sometimes the little things themselves (like bananas) are the great love. My small success for this week was not jumping the gun at an adolescent meltdown and launching into Mom Lecture Mode. By being quiet, it allowed her brother to act and solve the problem, and I got to witness little things with great love. My small success was imitating a snow day, learning to be still. Admittedly, when you witness your children caring for each other, it’s hard not to want to I don’t know, whoop, high five, and do something of a touchdown victory dance or, if I’m going to imitate snow, make a virtual snow angel. Happy Small Success Thursday! What small successes are you celebrating this week?
Copyright 2018 Sherry Antonetti

About the Author

Sherry Antonetti

Sherry Antonetti

Sherry Antonetti is a freelance writer, high school teacher and a blogger at Patheos. She and her husband live in Maryland with nine of their ten children and a puppy named Pumpkin.