Again

I've been cracking the whip. I'm sure the neighbors have been wondering what is going on. My kids are sequestered until they clean up their playroom. And this time, I'm not helping. So, every day following our usual errands or school the boys march down to clean. Without constant supervision, however, they start playing. Then I march down and holler a little bit. The boys scurry to do as I ask. But as soon as I retreat to folding the laundry or some other chore of my own, they begin to play. Then I stomp down the stairs for another bout.

Despite the fact that I can see they do not get how serious I am, Cooper recently stopped my lecture with, "Do we have to have this fight, again?"

Oh little man, brace yourself. Unfortunately, in life, we -- the grown-ups of the world -- often find ourselves having the same fight, over and over and over, again. If you learn now that it's exhausting and emotionally injurious to have a perpetual and persistent fight you will be so much farther ahead than the rest of the human race.

We all have fighting thoughts, which one could you put away forever? Peace be with you until we meet, again.