For my thesis research I have been investigating what makes step-families cohesive. One study focused on the area of jealousy and its power to destroy relationships. I believe jealousy’s primary mission is to break into families of any kind, relationships of any kind and devastate.
At bedtime last night Jordan asked me, “Mom, what would you do to make the world a better place?”
I answered, “Teach people to treat each other with kindness.”
“Then we should zap everyone in the world to be nicer to each other,” my son told me. “I would go to outer space and zap the world to watch less television, be smarter and make little houses for hobos.”
“Why to watch less T.V.?” I asked, “What would people do instead?”
“Read and exercise,” Jordan said. “To be strong…to make your brain and body strong.”
I knew at this point in the conversation I should be taking notes. Kids always seem to be chattiest at bedtime and Jordan is no exception. He finished his list of ideas with, “I might also do a fourth thing…zap myself a little to be a little better dirt bike racer.”
Maddi wanted her turn to list off how she would zap the world and make it a better place. When asked what she’d do she said, “Be a thinker.” That seems like it would solve many problems in families and relationships if each person committed to think before speaking, think about solutions, think of others in addition to oneself. Her list didn’t stop there. She added, “Fly really fast, be invisible, be stretchy, make lots of rainbows and make people smile.”
My daughter’s desire to become a super-hero may help the world be a better place. But, even without superpowers, Madelynn makes a lot of people smile. Wouldn’t that be a great quality for us all–to make those around us smile? To replace jealousy with kindness? We could zap the world and make it better.
