Fatherly Platitudes

Ah, the wisdom of the ages, spoken through me as a member of the grand old fraternity of fatherhood...

My oldest son has a tendency to get his expectations WAY up there, and if he gets disappointed he can become quite upset. The first soccer game of the season was canceled due to rain and cold. Both he and his younger brother were crying, as they had their soccer gear on all day in anticipation for the start of the season. I offered them the choice of a treat or playing soccer with me in the rain, and they chose the soccer ("Good one," I said to myself sarcastically as I dripped with moisture).

Last week soccer got canceled again, this time for lightning storms. My middle boy handled this one better, but the oldest got throwing his soccer gear around, acting mad. When his mom sent him to his room for that, he started with a very rare screaming fit, that continued until I came home.

I had him cool down so he wasn't throwing a fit, then sat with him to comfort him. In my enlightened fatherly sense, trying to explain the idea of making the best of a bad situation, I shared the time-honored saying with my progeny:

"Son, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

He cried a minute more while pondering this. Then he answered in a wailing voice, "What good does lemonade do if I'm in my soccer gear ALL DAY and we don't get to play!" (referring of course to the first weather-canceled game).

Man. These pearls of wisdom are trickier to dispense than it seems.