Staying Open

Here's my daughter, Ella, petting a dog standing on a fire hydrant.

We were walking around Salem with some friends when we came across a man and his dog doing tricks. A few passers by stopped to take pictures with smartphones, and when someone asked why isn't this dog on a show like America's Got Talent, the owner said, "Because his first job is being a good dog." And that was good enough for us.

A few minutes after, I elbowed my son saying "See what happens when you stay open?"

Alex did not want to walk around Salem on Saturday. He wanted to toss the football around with friends, play video games, and eat junk food--typical kid stuff. Not a bad day, really. But I felt like we needed to do something different as a family. So we walked around a neighboring town. Turned out to be a fun afternoon, the last day of summer. Not only did the kids see some of Salem's wicked charm, we met this amazing dog and his owner.

I am constantly telling my kids to stay open to new possibilities. Don't shut down. Don't say no until you've tried. It's hard to put into practice, but I am grateful for days when I can show rather than tell.