Yesterday afternoon, we were over at some some friends’ house for a birthday party.  There was food and swimming and eventually trampoline jumping.  The boys decided that they’d had enough jumping, and went off to play basketball in the driveway.   Tegan still had a lot of bounce left in her though, so she started campaigning for partners.  I jumped with her for a short while (as long as my pizza and margarita filled stomach would tolerate), and so did her 11 year old friend as well as her father.

She was still unhappy.

“Why can’t Hannah bounce with me some more??”  she asked with a scowl on her face as she sat on the edge of the trampoline.

“Maybe she will if you ask her, instead of fussing about the trampoline,” Mike told her.

“I am not fussing about the trampoline.  I am fussing about all you PEOPLE who won’t. bounce. with. me.”

Three year olds are awesome.  Seriously.  How cool is it that she was able to identify, and then verbalize, exactly what (or in this case, whom) she was upset about?  No Daddy, I’m not upset with the trampoline, I’m upset with people, and I’ll tell you why.  How many adults could stand to learn from that?  I know I could.  We grumble around when we have an issue with a spouse or a friend or a family member or a random person on the internet… and instead of identifying it, we simply internalize it and then take it out on the dog or the computer or any nearby unsuspecting victim.

And as it turned out, I could have benefited from following my daughter’s honest example.  I was upset last night, and didn’t feel like admitting it or verbalizing it or talking about it at all.  So I ended up breaking the cardinal rule of marriage 101 and went to bed angry, which in turn led to a night of fitful, broken sleep, nightmares, a stomach ache, and bad infomercials at 2:00 in the morning.  (Are you versed on the wonders of the latest and greatest diet aid that is Sensa?  I could tell you all about it)

Tegan, however, had her problem solved right then and there, because she was willing to put it all out on the line.  Granted, if she had a few more years and maturity, she could have done so a little more… politely… but there’s something to be said for a three year old’s authenticity to be sure.  It is innocent, and pure, and TRUE, and I love that.

So the next time I’m upset with someone, I’m going to try to remember my daughter, and remember the benefit (for all involved) in honesty.    ‘Cause let’s face it:  It rarely IS about the trampoline.