Taking a Daughter's Advice

"Elise, are you frustrated with me?"

I asked this question about an hour and a half ago to my almost 4-year old daughter after a very long day. Tired and refusing to nap, fatigue got the best of her today - there were tears because a train was going by, because she bit her fingers (twice) while eating pizza, because she tripped and fell three times, and because I punished her after she hit her sister over the head with a toy, said she was sorry, and five minutes later she took toys away from her and threw them across the room for her to have to chase. I had yelled a lot today and was visibly frustrated. Outside and alone on our patio, I asked if she was frustrated with me.

"Yes, Daddy."

"Why?

"Because you used bad words today."

I was curious. "Which bad words did I use?"

"You said doggone it and dang it."

"Elise, those words aren't so bad. We can say those words." She apparently forgot when I told her to use her damn fork to eat her pizza. I didn't remind her.

"Do you think I was grumpy today, Elise?"

"Yes."

"Were you grumpy, too?"

Sheepish, now, and barely audible: "Yes."

I then admitted that I haven't slept a lot lately, and that probably made me grumpy. I also pointed out that she hadn't slept a lot either, which was probably why she was grumpy as well.

"I have an idea, Daddy. We should ask God to help us tomorrow to not be grumpy and to get more rest."

And that was the profound moment of the day. Of the month, probably. July has been basically ruined for me in many ways by the most poorly run class I've ever had to take and the insane requirements for completing it. I wake up, read my assignments, and get mad. I do the pointless assignments and get more mad. I go to bed mad, worked up about how I waste four hours a day on this garbage. I've complained all month, can't sleep, can't write, can't focus on reading, and can't really enjoy anything without this black cloud of a class hovering over me. And it took four weeks and the advice of my daughter to get myself to this point.

If you believe in God, pray in the tough times. Even if those tough times, like this one, are somewhat self-inflicted.

May God answer our prayer tonight.