Just Say Yes
By Suzanne Reeves

When you are a new mom, doesn’t it seem like everyone feels compelled to give you advice? Now that my daughter is nine, I find myself resisting the same urge to dole out my hard earned wisdom on every frazzled mom trying to survive a trip to the grocery store. Most advice I received I took with a grain of salt. But there were some real gems that were passed to me.

One of the best? Say “yes” whenever possible.

Sweet and simple and so hard to put into practice. As moms our natural tendency is to say no. And often with good reason. It’s expensive, inappropriate, dangerous, or just not possible. But sometimes we say no because it’s a habit.

My mom regrets rarely letting us get ice cream from the ice cream truck as it rattled through our neighborhood. I’m not scarred for life every time I see the ice cream man, but it was one of those joys we missed growing up. Now, when my daughter hears that tinny music playing through the open windows, she jumps up with big eyes and a huge grin knowing that whatever time of day it is she is getting a frosty treat.

Will it ruin her appetite? Maybe. Does she need more sugar? No. But so what? The joy on her face as she’s dancing in the driveway, craning her neck to see if he’s coming around the corner is worth a hundred spoiled appetites. I know these days of simple childhood pleasures are numbered.

So I say yes whenever possible. I’ve said yes to face painting, trips to the park, dog walks, races to the mailbox, sleeping in blanket tents, wearing fairy wings to the store, worm collecting, and so many other requests. If I need to say no, I do. But mostly I try to say yes whenever possible.