So last night, after a rough morning at the gym and a long day of sitting at a computer, I decided to bribe my children. "I will give you anything you want if you rub my legs."
Now, that may sound like a pretty big promise to make to a 6-year-old and (nearly) 9-year-old, but I was tired, aching, and quite frankly, not thinking straight.
I try my best to keep my promises and the immediate panic set in as I realized that I may have to explain that a new pony doesn't fit well into a city setting, that we are not able to have Spongebob Squarepants over for dinner, and that it's not good parenting to allow a 9-year-old boy to quit school.
So, what did they ask for?
The 6-year-old went first. This little girl is the most polite, compassionate, caring individual that I've ever met, so it's always interesting to listen to what she has to say. She looked me straight in the face with the most beautiful smile and said...
"If I give you a massage, will you play with my stuffed animals with me tonight?"
Of course I will! Whew... one down, one to go. Next, my 9-year-old looks at me with that sly little grin. I can see the wheels turning and I have one thought: I'm in BIG trouble. And then he said it...
"Will you sit down and watch an episode of my favorite TV show with me tonight?"
Success! Two-for-two and there's no pony-purchasing in sight. And then I thought, I just promised them anything in this world. Anything! And they chose... time. All they wanted was one-on-one time. They didn't want stuff; they wanted time.
What a great lesson for us. The people that care about us, kids and adults alike, don't want things from us. They don't want money from us. They don't want new and bigger toys or the latest fashions. What they really want is time. The hard question is, do you care enough to give them what they really want?