Sunday inspiration: keeping my cool

Things don't always go the way we plan - I wanted a cute Easter picture with the kids, but instead I got two hysterical children rolling on the driveway in their nice church clothes.  Serenity now!

A few months back, my husband and I were watching the train wreck that is Gold Rush Alaska on the History Channel.  If you haven't seen it, the show is a documentary-style telling of a group of men trying to strike it rich by digging and panning for gold up in the wilds of Alaska.  They're all novices so nothing ever goes as planned, and tempers flare constantly.  One man on the show had an incredibly short fuse and started fights with just about every person in the camp.

At one point he was at fault and screamed at one of the workmen, then stalked off.  The workman was visibly shaken, and explained to the cameramen why he hadn't fought back.  "It doesn't do any good - it's just the first punch that feels good."

That struck me as very wise and has rolled to the front of my mind often, especially when WonderGirl tests the boundaries of acceptable behavior during practice time.  When I'm tempted to lose my temper and snap, I remember his words.  It might release some steam for me to shout out "AAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!  If you'd just play instead of whining you'd be DONE by now!!!!" but losing my cool always makes the situation worse.

It's my new parenting mantra.  As good as it feels to just vent, it's nothing compared to the euphoria of vanquishing a bad mood and seeing WonderGirl giddy at being able to play something she'd thought was impossible.  Who knew such wisdom could come from gold miners??