Mistakes

This afternoon while pulling down a box of cereal for his snack, E dumped the entire contents all over the kitchen floor. Since we tend to be lax about the "five second rule" (or ten, or twenty . . .), he resourcefully grabbed a bowl and skimmed a layer of Joe's Os off the top, added some milk, and munched away contentedly while I vacuumed up money. (I mean, cereal.)

I was proud of myself for taking the spill in stride, since on a busier or more stressful day I'm sure I would have expressed my exasperation with more volume than is really warranted for an accidental spill. Go me!

Still munching his Os, E told me calmly, "Sorry, Mom. But it's okay. Everybody makes mistakes."

And I felt thankful. Yes, even while vacuuming cereal off my floor. How fortunate we are that the loss of a box of cereal does not have a devastating impact on our meals or our budget. And how fortunate that my happy, healthy 3 1/2 year old has learned this lesson well enough to impart it to me - "Everybody makes mistakes."