The most powerful phrase I've ever seen

This is one of those blog posts that has very little to do with cake and a lot to do with life. 


Okay.  I'm an ECE, or Early Childhood Educator.  I currently have the cutest little collection of Kindergartners I could ever want.  I'm also incredibly biased toward them today, since Thursday, for our Christmas program, they completely NAILED their performance and made me so dang proud, I'm sure I'll continue to think they are the bees knees until at least mid-week next week.

But, looking back at other moments, kids are exhausting.  And sometimes, a trial unlike any other put on this planet.

And sometimes, a total learning experience.

A few weeks back, I had the chance to see the transformative power of what has to be the worlds most powerful phrase.

we were in our indoor gymnasium, and there was a small argument over the "pink girl."  It's this little girl figurine wearing a pink dress. It's the only one, and it's a terrible monster of an issue, since, apparently, girls in blue, green or purple dresses just aren't good enough to play with.  As I'm trying to mediate the situation, girl A hauls off, slaps girl B and grabs the toy from my hand to run off.  After a moment of shock, Girl A is relegated to time out and the toy goes in my bag for a time out, too.  Girl B, predictably cries, and puts a cold compress on her face.

Girl A sits in her time out, screaming "I hate you.  I hate all of you.  No one is my friend!" repeatedly.  Since there are very specific rules about discipline in place, I can't do anything about the screaming, so we're all forced to ignore it.

When the legal amount of time for time out is up (One minute per age of child), i tell Girl A to apologize to Girl B.  So she stomps over and she says, on the grumpiest voice possible "Sorry."

Girl B just smiles at Girl A and says, "It's okay.  I forgive you."

The minute the words are out of her mouth, Girl As face changed completely, and she just grabbed up Girl B in a huge hug and said "I really am sorry."  Girl B just shrugged, "I forgive you, let's go play with the blue girls."

And they ran off.  playing.  All issues forgotten. Even the red mark of Girl As hand faded by the end of class.

I've seen Girl A have these moments a lot, and never recover or be so apologetic ever.

I know people say "I love you" is the most important three words ever, but I'd hazard "I forgive you" is far more powerful.  It is after all, one of the hardest things to do, forgive.  And so, truly forgiving someone, the most powerful thing I've ever seen. 


And thus ends my rambling.