What message are you reading?

The following is a family conversation that I’m inviting you to listen in on.

Daughter #1: “Mom, did you put baking soda in my (exercise) shoes?”
Mom: “No, but that’s a good idea.”
Daughter #1: “Well, who did?”
Mom: “I don’t know. Are you sure you didn’t and just forgot?”
Daughter #1:  “No, I didn’t. You should have asked first.”
Mom: “I didn’t do it.”
Daughter #2: Do they have a lot of white powder in them?”
Daughter #1: “Yes!”
Daughter #2: “Oh, it’s powdered sugar.”
Daughter #1: “What?! Did you like pour it in?!”
Daughter #2: “ I made a pumpkin roll and shook the powdered sugar off the towel outside the door.”
Daughter #1: “It won’t come out.”
Daughter #2: “I know. Sorry.”
Daughter #1: “I thought someone was giving me a message.”

Though the inconvenience for Daughter #1 was still there, her annoyance was greatly reduced and she was even able to laugh about the incident, because of the understanding of what really happened and the letting go of judgment.

Do we sometimes read messages into things that aren’t there? Do we make decisions based on our misinterpretations or jumping to conclusions?

We get to choose every day how to interpret any and every situation. But know this: Nothing has meaning until we give it meaning.  An event or discussion, in and of itself does not have meaning. It just is. We are the ones that give it significance and often times that interpretation is not accurate. Hence, the misunderstandings and hurt feelings that easily arise.

How liberating it is to stop judging and criticizing ourselves and others with our interpretations. How much calmer would we be in accepting what is and focusing on the solution instead.

Yes, the annoyance of having powdered sugar in her exercise shoes was still there, but getting rid of the interpretation and judgment freed my daughter up to accept the situation with humor and forgiveness and appreciate that there really was no hidden message.

P.S. Does anyone know how to get powdered sugar out of exercise shoes?

Love,