Baseball has its curve balls, golf its sand traps and water holes; football its blockers.  Clouds protect us from the sun and they also bring rain—sometimes of torrential magnitude.  We must make room for lamentations; make space to grieve lest we become cynical.

When we are infants our cries brought the world to us, cry and we were fed, cry and we were changed and cleaned, cry and we were held.  We were the center around which others came to meet and serve our needs.

Recall, if you will, being two years old, hearing and comprehending “no” in a way as never before.  “What do you mean I can’t have that pretty red balloon?”  “Why can’t I put this in my mouth?  But I want another cookie!!!”  Cry we did as we have always done.  BUT, it doesn’t get us what we want.  So, we cried louder and we still didn’t get what we wanted. What’s going on?  It used to work!  Who changed the rules?  Now we are not only crying as a way to indicate what we want, we are crying because we are NOT getting what we want.  So, we cry louder and more persistently.  Still not getting what we want.  Now not only are we crying as a way to indicate what we want, and not only are we crying because we are frustrated we now are crying because we are confused and cannot get the world to do as we bid.  Disappointment… bound to happen.

Our children need to know:  disappointments bound to happen, part of life, not an indication of an inner defect!  Thwarted outcome… bound to happen.  Curve ball… bound to happen.  Choppy waters… bound to happen.  Not getting what you want… bound to happen.  Disappointment is bound to happen.  Our sacred charges as parents is teaching our children of its inevitability and affirm for them their innate inner resiliency to prevail.