We bought the Bear these fridge magnets when we were in the Carolinas (they were only $1 or something). I had visions of him standing peacefully in front of the fridge, magnets collected in one tidy corner, me saying words and helping him to spell them out, him searching and finding and lining up letters, entertained and learning at the same time.

But he has other ideas.

He prefers to take each letter, one by one, say the letter aloud, and put it in line. He starts with one colour, and then works his way through, from red to yellow to blue to green and pink and orange, and once his line has made its windy way across the fridge, he begins to go down the side of it so that the work can continue. Twenty-six carefully-placed letters later, he is happy with his creation, and he claps and cheers at his accomplishment.

In big ways and small ways, I’ve seen that life has a way of happening differently from how it would have if I was always in control. And though sometimes the picture isn’t what I had in mind, at the same time, it very often seems, it is just so much better.

Is it possible that my way is not the best way? What beautiful food for thought.

Do you ever relinquish control and feel really glad you did?

xCC