I'm Not Going To Play With You Ever Again!

Merry Christmas everyone! I can't believe it's so close...and I'm excited. There is something about having small children that makes Christmas even more magical (even though some of those children are currently fighting bedtime an hour and half after they were put there).
Everyone knows that Christmastime is associated with love and kindness, both to our families and to everyone around us, and it has always been one of my favourite parts of the season. I love seeing people be kind to one another, even letting go of previous hurts to reconcile and enjoy the holiday together.
I've been taught lots about forgiveness in the last couple of months. I've always known that we should forgive others, and I was pretty sure I knew how, but I have watched in it action on an almost daily basis recently, and seeing what it really looks like, I know that I haven't always had the most forgiving of hearts, despite my boasts to the opposite.

Who have I learned this from? My two and four year olds, Danica and Myka. That might seem silly, but seriously, have you ever really stopped to watch small children play together? During the months of October and most of November I did. I was in bed with morning sickness for a good chunk of my days. I would leave the door open and watch the girls play in the living room and run down the hallway to their room. Most of the time they played really well, which I was thankful for in my condition! As sisters do, however, they did fight. Sometimes they fought hard, hair pulling and biting were not out of their realm of attack techniques on each other. What I learned while watching them is that many of the smaller fights were easily resolved and I didn't even have to intervene. Sometimes I did though; I would make them apologize and hug, and wouldn't you know it, once the fight was over, it was OVER. There was no grudge holding, even if the offence had been huge, like Myka trying to take Danica's polka dot blankie. The words, " I don't like you, and I'm not going to play with you ever again!!" were uttered many times, but not once were they held too. It never took more than a few minutes for everything to be forgotten and the pretty little "ponies" were galloping down the hall again for more fun.
Now, I realize that we are talking about the difference between preschoolers pulling hair and a grown adult doing any number of things. I mean, we as adults can be downright cruel to each other!
Despite the age difference, I think that we can learn a lot from the way preschoolers deal with forgiveness. Lately I have been at a very good place in my life with my friends and my husband and have realized something huge (at least for me!) When I am not holding onto a grudge or harbouring  "snotty" feelings towards another person, I am so. much. happier. To the point where even if someone does say something that could hurt, I don't even want to hold onto it because the feeling of being "free" of those feelings is so much better. I don't know if it will stay like that...life isn't fair and something is bound to happen that will test everything I've said here. I do know that I wish I had known sooner what forgiveness could really feel like and how much stress it was really bringing into my life.
And now it's Christmas. As good a time as any to take the lessons we learn from our children and put them into practice! Have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and everything in between friends!