I always say that my children are my biggest teachers in life. My life experiences with them led me to an amazing life journey and they make me self-reflect all the time.
Let me justify my behavior that it was a very hot Spring day in the 90s. I wanted to take the boys to the pool after school. So the 6th grader was testing my patience, which has been something that I need to work on. Here is how the conversation went:
Me: “Let’s goto the pool, it’s a hot day and you guys will enjoy it”
1st grader: “Ok”
6th grader: “No”
Me: “Why?”
6th grader: “I don’t want to go, why don’t you play a round of backgammon with me.”
Me: “Fine.”
So the conversation when on like this for an hour and half and we were still in the house. My son was literally testing my patience. I think it is very well known to my family that is not my strength.
An hour and half later, I finally managed to get everyone in the car. As I was pulling out of the driveway, my tire hit the curb, and I lost it. I had a meltdown and started screaming.
That evening, I reflected on my reaction. I realized that my son knew that patience was not my thing, so he did his best as a teenager to get a reaction out of me. Usually it’s a challenging task, but on this hot day, he managed to do it. It’s quite alright, next time, I will see through him when he is trying and tell him how much I love him.
With Love,
Shih-Ying