This one is from the Mom Files: I was helping in my daughter's classroom and another mom brought in her daughter's forgotten lunch. The daughter accepted the lunch bag, walked to the tub where the class keeps the lunchbags until lunchtime, gently placed her bag on top, and pushed it down into the tub with all her might.
My mouth probably dropped open a bit and I waited for the speech I would have given about smashed sandwiches, chips reduced to crumbs and respect for other people's things. The other mom gave her daughter a genuine smile (hiding a laugh, perhaps) and simply said, "Perfect!" Her daughter gave her a winning smile and a kiss and went back to class with a spring in her step.
I think about that exchange a lot. In the grand scheme of things, what is a smashed sandwich? Yet how often do we get hung up on the little things to "teach" our co-workers, employees, or family things "they need to know"? We all know to choose our battles, but what about our teaching moments? Sometimes there is another day to learn a lesson. Sometimes there is a better time to prove we are smart and benevolent teachers. Sometimes, people just need to hear, "Perfect!" and go on about their day.
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