The Spoon You Have
My daughter has an annoying habit of switching spoons with her sister whenever you give her a meal. It's harmless really, so I let it go on. But it has turned into an almost mealy routine (is "mealy" a word? Every meal). Today, her sister was still sleeping so we ate breakfast together and she asked to switch spoons with me. I wouldn't let her, mostly because my spoon was too big for her mouth and I didn't want her little plastic one, but also because I think it could be the beginnings of a contentment problem. Call me an extremist, but I guess I'm always thinking things are a bigger deal than they really are (just ask my wife). But the idea that whatever I give her is not enough tells me that this could be an issue later on. I know this because I have the same problem, struggling with contentment even in the best of circumstances. "Use the spoon you have," I told her, to her dismay. She tried to talk me out of it, but I was resolute. Then she ...