Children....

....can break your heart, and then minutes later, raise your spirits to the sky.

I had a major disagreement with my solo offspring. She wanted her homework done (in essence) for her, and I refused to provide her with easy and cheap answers. The outcome? A scream-fest where harsh words were flung from both parties, and hurt feelings were to be had all around.

I couldn't let it go though. I was so angry, and so frustrated. And it occured to me, more than once, that my parents are amazing people. I was definitely not an easy child to live with.

Not being able to let it go, I hunted her down, wanting to vent my frustrations upon her. The sight of her genuine tears (as opposed to the insincere ones she uses as a weapon to bring my father to his knees) broke my heart. Until I turned, and saw her homework lying on a nearby table.

For a moment, our eyes met. And then I picked up her homework, and told her she had one of two choices. She could grab a pencil right this minute, and get the answers from me for free. Or she could take the book to school, and face up to her teacher. I had called her bluff (having used it myself when I was in school)...she could no longer tell her teacher she couldn't hand in her homework, because she'd forgotten to bring it to school.

Faced with an easy way out, I half-expected her to take it. But she didn't. And my joy was profound. My pride literally filled me to the brim. She knew she was wrong, and she also knew she could get off scot free. But she didn't. And I cannot express just how proud I am that her spine and her morality so far outstrips mine when I was her age.

I would have gratefully taken the answers, be damned to pride. Or I would have snuck off and told the lie. Maybe if my parents were more savvy to the little tricks cowards play, I would have been stopped a whole lot sooner :)

Whatever it is, I just want to say that it's moments like these that makes being told you're hated worth the pain.