A Thousand Times
Glenn L. Pace October 1990 Saturday Morning Session
How many of you parents have had an experience similar to this: You are relaxing for the first time at the end of a long day. Suddenly, the silence and serenity of the moment are shattered by the piercing scream of one of your children. You bolt out of your comfortable chair and meet your child who is running hysterically up the front steps. It is obvious there is a cut that will require stitches. In a fraction of a second you form an opinion of what took place. Consequently, the first words out of your mouth, rather than words of sympathy and comfort, are, “Oh, son, why can’t you be more careful? When are you going to learn to mind me? I’ve told you a thousand times not to play on the garage roof!” Our children will testify that none of us ever claims to have told them two, three, nine, or fifteen times. We always claim to have told them a thousand times.