The Human Headache.

Atticus ended his birthday with a horrible headache (he gets them regularly) and a meltdown at the dinner table. He eventually made it through his food (with several trips to the back bedroom with his dad to get himself under control) and ended up so exhausted (mentally, physically and emotionally) that he couldn't even eat his cupcake. Bah. Some days are like that for everyone. I forget while I am parenting that a family is a loyal collection of people who are, after all, human. This seems rather elementary, but if you are a perfectionist, you are sometimes blind to obvious facts -- like no one is in a good mood all of the time. And that sometimes people you live with annoy you and you want to be alone -- whether you are 70, 50, 35, 20, 16 or 7. Since I believe strongly in original sin, I am aware that the sins of selfishness and ingratitude and unkindness need to be fought and killed in oneself. And as parents we deliberately and diligently try to help our kids fight these fights with discipline and instruction and prayer and modeling the fight (and hopefully the winning of the right heart/actions -- love and serving, thankfulness, and kindness). But not a single one of us changes in a day or is exempt from the fight with sin. Furthermore, we each have different personalities: I sometimes forget that if someone is an introvert and spends all day with people at school, he is going to need to find space when he gets home. In a small house where you share your bedroom with two little brothers, well, I, as his mama, need to get creative. Right now Atticus' safe-haven is my bedroom with the door closed. Well, the weekend is upon us and sunshine is our friend. Glad for two days with Brad, glad for spring, glad for my moody-complicated 7-year-old.