Waiting for a Break

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“We learn how to be resilient and handle difficult things by PRACTICING dealing with difficult things.” – Tina Payne Bryson

We went to our favorite beach on Whidbey Island this weekend. We rented an AirBnB that allowed dogs so it was our puppy, Cooper’s, first vacation.

The weather was really blustery. After a particularly stormy week in the Seatle area, there was driftwood all over the beach. When my son, four-year-old Mr. D and my friend, Eric, went down to the beach, Mr D busied himself throwing huge pieces of wood into the water. And by huge, I mean almost as big as he is.

When Eric remarked on this, Mr. D turned to him and said, “I can do hard things.”

Here’s the thing about that. Every day for the ten days preceding the vacation, I’d sent Mr. D to school with a note. In the note, it counted down how many sleeps until vacation, explained that we had to go to school/work in order to be able to go on vacation, and ended with the sentence, “We can do hard things.”

Normally Mr. D doesn’t need coaxing to go to school. But coming off of some crud he caught at Thanksgiving, and the dark and stormy days of the last couple of weeks, it felt like he was tired. You know that deep, soul-level tired where even after good night’s sleep it feels like you are exhausted.

Of course, Mr. D cannot yet read but he carried the note with him anyway. He didn’t say much about it. But I knew he was paying attention because the note started ripping in places because it’d been opened and refolded so many times.

Sometimes we have to push through to earn a break. And I’m incredibly heartened to know that when we do, it builds the confidence that “We can do hard things.”

63 thoughts on “Waiting for a Break”

  1. “I do hard things.” Whoa. I’m at a loss to know where to begin with this one, so I’ll just sit on it until it hatches or tuck it beneath my wing until I’m ready to fly with it. ☺️

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  7. Like the other commenters, I’m impressed by that superhero statement from Mr. D. That’s a great spirit of resilience. And your description of the beach reminded me of how my grandfather liked to collect interesting pieces of driftwood. A good memory 🙂

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  8. Being familiar with this, “You know that deep, soul-level tired where even after good night’s sleep it feels like you are exhausted.” And then reading this, “Sometimes we have to push through to earn a break. And I’m incredibly heartened to know that when we do, it builds the confidence that “We can do hard things.”” And hearing your sweet boy took it to heart, should jumpstart everyone’s day! It certainly encouraged me to push on through!

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  19. Yes! That quote you used to open this post is bang on, Wynne. I often find the people who blow minor annoyances out of proportion haven’t really been tested in their lives. Overcoming life’s challenges and living to tell the tale gives us confidence to handle the next hard thing that comes our way. I love that Mr. D. is learning that lesson at a young age.

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  20. I love that message you sent Mr D with every day to school. It sounds like a well-earned vacation indeed.

    I recently saw a post by a motivational speaker named Mel Robbins that I found interesting and that is we build the most confidence at our lowest and most challenging periods – because we learn that we can, indeed, do hard things.

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    1. What an interesting perspective from Mel Robbins. I hadn’t thought of it for our lowest periods but yes, it fits. It reminds me of the persistence and confidence-building that you do with T for assignments such as his pizza making essay.

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  22. He is indeed learning deep lessons of life and you are the conduit through which he learns these. So awesome!

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      1. Indeed it is sacred! When they grow and have children of their own, they will want you to continue the good work!

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  27. What a wonderful lesson, learned early by Mr. D. I too know that kind of tired….I’m adding a note to my own pocket with the reminder, “I can do the hard things”. Thanks, Wynne!

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