Learning to Dance in the Rain

I know kids whose parents bring them breakfast in bed, every day. I know kids whose parents rescue them at the slightest sign of a hangnail. I know kids who are never told ‘no’ by their parents.

I don’t envy these kids. They’ve been given the message that their world will be roses. They’ve been led to believe that society revolves around them and that decisions will always be made in their favour.

And yet, when I think about the times in my life that I didn’t get my way, I realize it is precisely those times that made me who I am today. It’s hard to develop integrity, empathy, perseverance and patience when the answers are always yes.

In the course of my day, sometimes I have to say ‘no’ to kids or to parents. That’s when I remind myself that my job is not to make everyone happy. My job is to make the decisions best for the children in my care. Sometimes, the short term disappointment leads to benefits we can’t anticipate.

As Vivian Greene once said, “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass… it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”