I wish I hadn’t taken my husband’s coffee pot and smashed it in the sink. I knew it the moment I steadied my shaking hands against the metal basin filled with jagged slivers of glass.
Regret hurts.
I wish I hadn’t peeled out of the gravel parking lot simply because things weren’t going according to plan. I knew it the moment my baby in the backseat began to cry.
Regret burns.
I wish I hadn’t run through the pouring rain, cussing and screaming about not being able to find my vehicle in a lot of thousands. I knew it the moment my daughter looked up at me with fearful eyes and asked if I was okay.
Regret aches.
I could go on. My list of overreactions is long, and it is shameful. I’d always liked to have things go just right, but during my highly distracted, stretched-too-thin, over-committed and under-rested years, overreaction became my middle name. And regret was right there beside it. Regret follows on the heels of overreaction every single time.
These unbecoming incidents—the coffee pot, the gravel-spitting tires, and the parking lot confusion—have resurfaced in my mind lately. Although they happened years ago, I can remember them clearly now, more clearly than ever.
I remember being so upset that I was unable to think straight. I remember coming so undone that I couldn’t get myself back together. I remember detesting myself in those moments. I remember wanting to run away. But most of all, I remember not wanting to be that person anymore. Regret can be a powerful motivator.
How did I begin to choose calm over crazed, reasonable over senseless, composed over fuming? One of my strategies was making a conscious effort to spot the “flowers” instead of the “weeds” in situations and in people. Another tactic was adopting a mantra to silence my inner bully. Whenever a critical thought came to mind, I immediately interrupted it with the phrase, “Only Love Today”. Another tactic was to envision my angry words like a car crash, inflicting damage to the person on the receiving end. But it wasn’t until one week ago, after thinking about several embarrassing outbursts from my past, that I realized there is something else I do. I give myself a 3-second preview of how a situation could play out if I choose controlling hostility over peaceful compassion.
It was my children’s first day back to school after a two-week holiday break. The school bus was due to pull up to the corner in four minutes. My daughters were doing their last minute gathering of shoes, coats, water bottles, and lunches.
“Don’t forget it’s Tuesday,” I called to my eight-year-old daughter as she headed for the boots lying next to the door. “Tennis shoes for P.E.,” I added.
My child stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to face me, gripping her right arm with her left. “Mama, my arm hurts today. Could you write me a note that says my arm is sore?”
You want me to write a note now? You should have thought of it sooner.
Sore arm? Let me guess—too much Wii? I am not writing a note for that.
You will be fine. Come on, we need to go. The bus is coming.
I thought those responses. I thought them all.
But I didn’t say them.
Because as I was thinking about all things I wanted to say, I gave myself a 3-second preview of what those responses would do for the situation. From past experience, I knew those particular words would not help the situation—they would only cause it to deteriorate.
But here’s where the real beauty happened:
While taking that 3-second pause, I noticed something. I noticed there were real tears welling in my daughter’s eyes … real tears she didn’t want to fall … real tears she was actually pushing back with her fingers.
That 3-second pause was just long enough for me to realize this sadness, this pain, this worry of my child’s was real. And a note to the P.E. teacher was very important to her that day.
Grabbing a notepad out of the junk drawer, I scribbled a quick note to the P.E. teacher and handed it to my child.
I never knew I had the power to hand someone a little bit of peace … a tiny corner of comfort … a permission slip to regain composure … but now I do. My compassionate reaction to my child’s situation held the power to save a morning, to save a heart from worry.
“Thank you, Mama,” she said quietly. I actually saw the color coming back to her face.
I thought of my child’s sore arm throughout the day. I knew our conversation could have easily gone another way. And although I don’t always make the right choice with my words, I knew I had that time. Regret was not my companion that day.
“How did P.E. go?” I asked my daughter when she got home from school.
“Well, when I got to P.E., I saw they were doing something I could do, even with a sore arm. So I tucked the note in my pocket and played,” she told me.
There was a time in my life when I wouldn’t have given my child that note. My response to her 6:55 a.m. request would have been underlined with control, exasperation, anger, and insensitivity. We probably wouldn’t have made it to the bus, and, most likely, we would have parted on bad terms. She probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make her own good choice in P.E. that day. There would have been no winners in that battle.
By the grace of God, things are different now. I now know every challenging situation does not have to be a contest to be right … to “win” … to have things go the way I want them to go.
The goal of each situation is to speak in a way I can be heard … to listen in a way that the other person can be heard … and to walk away feeling at peace with the way the situation was handled. Regret, it’s nice to see you go.
My list of overreactions is long and it is ugly, but today matters more than yesterday. I’ve started a new a list—a list of compassionate responses that I’ve offered. This list inspired me to write a hopeful reminder—a reminder that 3-second pauses have the power to save a morning, spare some pain, and prevent regret from being a lifelong companion. May it bring someone else hope too.
I am My Response
I am my response to my child’s mismatched outfit and the crumpled report card at the bottom of her backpack.
I am my response to my spouse who returned from the store without toilet paper but remembered the tailgate snacks.
I am my response to my anxious parent who repeats the same worries and insists on giving me coupons I do not need.
I am my response to my colleague with sad eyes and frequent absences.
I am my response to my 15-minutes-late hairdresser with a sick child.
I am my response to my neighbor with heart-heavy problems and little family support.
I am my response to the irate driver who cut me off and made an obscene gesture in
front of my children.
I am my response to the waitress who got my order wrong.
I am my response to myself when I forgot the one thing I most needed to do today.
I am my response to spilled coffee, long lines, and middle-of-the-night wake ups.
My responses are not perfect … they are not always ideal … I am human after all.
But if I strive to offer responses underlined with
grace,
understanding,
kindness,
empathy,
and care,
That is something.
That is something.
Because my responses are more than just words.
They represent
who I am,
who I want to be,
and how I will someday be remembered.
Today I will not respond perfectly. I know.
But if I strive to communicate with hints of kindness and traces of love,
That will be something
That will be something
That could mean more than words.
© Rachel Macy Stafford 2014
Rachel Macy Stafford is a certified special education teacher with a Master’s Degree in education and ten years of experience working with parents and children. In December 2010, this life-long writer felt compelled to share her journey to let go of distraction and grasp what really matters by creating the blog “Hands Free Mama.” Rachel provides readers with simple, non-intimidating, and motivating methods to let go of distraction and connect with their loved ones. Rachel’s work has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Global News, USA Today, TIME.com, MSN.com, The Huffington Post, and Reader’s Digest. Rachel’s first book, HANDS FREE MAMA, is a New York Times Bestseller. Her second book, HANDS FREE LIFE, hits bookstores on September 8th, 2015.
You can join Rachel on her journey to overcome distraction, live better, and love more at www.handsfreemama.com or The Hands Free Revolution on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheHandsFreeRevolution.
Please also read Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters!
Oooooh this is what I needed to read so badly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
These words are absolutely beautiful. I had tears in my eyes when you described writing the note to your daughter. Regrets are a POWERFUL TEACHER as I can attest. This post really confirmed something extremely important to me today, and I just so do thank you for the Gift YOU have given me. Bless you. Love, Amy
LikeLiked by 2 people
Brought tears to my eyes too. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just wanted to say thank you for your continued comments and support. It’s much appreciated.
Best, Mike.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re very welcome! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing.
It’s a personal post and I love personal posts because they let you know a teeny bit more about the blogger. It’s very inspiring to look at someone who admits their flaws and then tries to get better and let go of negativity.
I love the way you say “I am my response.” Speaks a lot to me.
Thanks for sharing such a beautiful, beautiful post.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.
LikeLike
Perfect Love and Kindness are – obviously – AWESOME.
But, when perfect love and kindness flows through holes and cracks and chipped edges…it breaks me up – it shatters me – because I begin to believe – REALLY believe – that that kind of love and kindness can flow through me, too…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on beyondtheflow and commented:
Excellent advice on handling those challenging moments…the 3 second pause!
LikeLike
Beautiful! Everyone needs mercy sometimes especially our children.
LikeLike
Really beautiful and honest, thank you. I too have been known to react too quickly and inappropriately, and the three second rule is a good one xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the three second rule! I love the grace found between Rachel’s words. Thanks for sharing this!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is now vital in my life. Taught to me by my lovely partner for which I thank him 🙂
LikeLike
It is amazing what becoming aware of your choices and taking responsibility for your words can do. It can make the difference between having a good life and suffering intensely.
LikeLike
Love this. Thank you for the reminder. Things do work out so much better when we pause and think rather than simply allowing out emotions to react. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautifully expressed. You’ve given everyone an important lesson today and done it with grace and mindfulness. Thank you. All good wishes, Mary
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for this beautiful reminder of what really matters. You made my day!
LikeLike
As always, your posts are incredibly savvy, straight-forward and contain precious lessons for us all. This one brought me to tears. I lost my mother to cancer last month. My dad and I were able to care for her at home along with Hospice care, and we all said everything we needed to and spoke our love over and over and over again.
I am grateful to all the “three seconds” when I felt I had to go back into her room and kiss her one more time, tell her I loved her one more time and hold her hand one more time.
Since she died, I have been having episodes of being blindingly angry. I don’t know where this is coming from, but I know that Mom’s death has somehow allowed me to feel everything more strongly than before. This is part of the process, I know. Your post made me feel less alone in this.
Thank you,
Jane
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Kindness Blog.
LikeLike