People are Prisms

Written By Paige Trevor

Every year I know I’m dating myself more and more. But, here we go anyway. . . . I loved Little House on the Prairie.  I read it aloud to my kids, we watched the DVD's (remember those?) of the 1970's series, we listened to books on tape. I hate to say it, but it was thrilling listening to the Long Winter while one of my kids had scarlet fever (true fans will know what I'm talking about). The series is filled with adventure, ingenuity, hunger, disease, whippings, panthers and oh, the list goes on!

Cut to one day at breakfast, I am standing at the sink looking over a 1/2 wall at my two kids, let's say 6 and 8. They are on the bench with a bottle of bubbly water and a couple of glasses. My older son is acting drunk, sloshing the water and slurring his words while the younger son is laughing hysterically. My mind immediately went to all the ne're do well kids on the block. I was going to find out who the tiny hoodlum was that put this in my child's mind. I shriek, "Who taught you that?  Where did you get that from? You are never playing with them again!"

Innocently he looks up and says, "Mr. Edwards, from Little House on the Prairie." 

Gulp. What?

The Lessons I Was Teaching

  • Family loyalty

  • Love, respect for your parents

  • Working very, very hard

  • Taking care of yourself and your loved ones

  • Pitching in

  • The glory in every day chores

  • The honor of contributing to the family

  • The joy of eating home cooked meals when you are truly hungry

  • The mystery and beauty of nature

  • Thrift

  • Gratitude

  • I could go on and on and on . . . 

The Lessons they Got

  • Drunk Mr. Edwards is hilarious

What's the lesson for you?  A reminder that people are like prisms.  What we mean to shoot through is not necessarily what comes out the other side. This goes for everyone. It's a sobering lesson, isn't it? 

I share the story not only because it's so darn funny, but because if we keep it in the front of our minds we'll be less forceful in our lessons, we'll ask more questions, we'll check in, we'll listen and learn something new about the people we live with and love dearly.

Paige Trevor
Next

5 Ways to Encourage