When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made dinner after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned toasts in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the toasts. And I’ll never forget what he said: “Honey, I love burned toasts.”
Later that night, I went to kiss Dad good night and I asked him if he really liked his toasts burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your Mom put in a hard day at work today and she’s real tired. And besides, a little burned toast never hurt anyone!”
Moral of the story:
Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults – and choosing to celebrate each others differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.
There’s an interesting pattern I’ve seen over the years, both in conversation and observation. People…
Arlene Dickinson is one of Canada’s most respected business leaders, known for her sharp insight,…
There’s something about the phrase “floor crossing” that makes it sound like a scandal waiting…
“But what made you choose Quebec over British Columbia, Alberta, or anywhere else in Canada?”…
I’ve never been one to plant a flag and defend it to the bitter end…
If life came with an instruction manual, most of us would lose it somewhere between…