OK, time for true confessions. Ready?

In our home, not every interaction we family members have with each other is warm and caring, delivered with a calm, measured tone, and filled with loving and kind words.

I truly hope that someone reading this is–right now–thinking to himself/herself: “Wow, how can that be? Here in our house, we really do achieve this. All the time! How can she say that their family doesn’t do that?”

But somehow, I am pretty sure that I won’t get a bunch of emails from folks claiming nirvana has been miraculously reached in their humble abodes.

Here’s the funny thing. For the last few weeks, I’ve noticed a distinct difference in interactions between myself and one particular child (who shall, of course, remain nameless and unidentified). It was gradual, at first. A less obnoxious answer to my reminder to do a chore. An answer to a question, instead of a glare.

Now it’s turned into something more. A willingness to participate more in family discussions. A quick laugh. A request to do something. An initiative to be helpful.

When I really stop to think about it, my responses are also more measured. I’m more at ease, less quick to assume that the conversation is going to take a nasty turn. (Gee, that means I might also be at fault… something else to ponder on.)

Perhaps our silver lining out of this is that taking away some of the daily stress of the busy-ness of life means that we get back to our essential selves? And maybe we really are warm and caring individuals, who speak with calm and measured tones with loving and kind words–when we slow down a bit?

A nice silver lining to discover for today, albeit one with perhaps a bit more profound and requiring of some soul searching…