My son made a new friend last week. His new friend has a different skin color, different life circumstances, and a different view of life from Jeremiah. Many of their conversations have left Jeremiah confused or angry at the boy or the boys life. For a few days I struggled with how to discuss this boys life with Jeremiah and help him understand. How do you explain that some parents just don’t know how to love their children? Or that in some houses the rules are very different and that’s okay? But really, in my heart of hearts, I know what my real struggle is. I don’t know how to explain the emotion pity and why it isn’t a good emotion to display. It is one thing to recognize circumstances are not optimal and to figure out a way to give a hand up to the person. It is another thing to look at them, shake your head, and walk away.
I view life as a community chest of sorts. If i have it to offer, I do. My friends operate under the same assumption and together we have anything and everything we need. It is easy to give if you know nothing is truly yours to hold on to.
I showed Jeremiah a couple types of chain. One that had soldered links and one that had cuts in the links. We tugged and pulled on both of them. Eventually the chain with the cut links stretched and broke. We compared all of the links and decided they were all the same thickness and weight. He came to the conclusion that the one that gave way was in the perfect place to take all of the strain of the pulling.
I told him people are very similar to the chain. We are all the same, equal in the beginning until the pulling starts. The links that aren’t in the perfect spot to break need to take on some of the pressure for the link that is. It’s not always our job to take pressure away and it’s not always our turn to be in the pressure spot. But where ever we are there is a job to be done. I told Jeremiah that right now it’s his turn to hold on tight for his friend but soon it may be his friends turn to be strong for Jeremiah.
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you make life so much warmer.
you already know…
All I can do is shake my head in awe. Well done, Momma Bear.
Gosh, what a beautiful analogy to represent to your child the simplicities & complexities of human interactions!!
I hope I did it justice and he got the lesson 🙂 I’m sure ee will revisit it thanks for reading.
Wow Anna! I have struggled with how to explain to my kids about where I volunteer. Those kids are not living with their family and they have been through some awful situations before being sent to the home.
It is such a hard thing to talk about! So many issues and how to explain them. Thanks for takin the time to read them.
Thank you jen! The struggle of bein a mom and knowing when to let them wrestle or when to help them break free is so hard! Thanks for taking the
Time to read princess :*
Thank you Ale!!
Wow. Awesome lesson. Thanks for posting.
Thanks so much 🙂 glad you enjoyed the read
I tried to double click the post, but a big love heart didn’t come up! Beautiful story, Anna. That’s a lucky boy you’ve got there.
Thanks so much friend 🙂 I’m blessed to have such a good kiddo
“It’s not always our job to take pressure away and it’s not always our turn to be in the pressure spot. But where ever we are there is a job to be done. I told Jeremiah that right now it’s his turn to hold on tight for his friend but soon it may be his friends turn to be strong for Jeremiah.” Don’t think there could have been a better summary. Well written, and a good object lesson, too. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for taking the time time to read it 🙂
Such a simple way of teaching but equally effective. Loved this!
you are a good mama, Anna.
What a touching story. Thanks for sharing and reminding us that we should be mindful of others. How simple a thought, but when put into action, is a very powerful thing!