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Life lessons from the water dispenser

One day during family pop quiz (No credit to us. It was a Netflix program, and we were playing along), one of the questions was, “Why do people spend so much time planning what they will wear to prom?”  

Kids: Because they want to flex.

Me: Why would you want to flex on prom night?

Kids: It is the only day you can show the teachers that you are dope.

Me: But why flex?

The back and forth continued until I realized we were on two dimensions. For my generation, “flexing” is fighting; for their generation, it means “to show off.”  

Exhibit 2: While traveling out of the country for work I was chatting online with Jason (11 years). After some time, he said Mama, it was nice chatting, but now I have to be AFK

Me: What is that?

Jason: Away from the keyboard. It means I am going to do something away from the computer.

Exhibit 3: We intentionally purchased a home water dispenser with a safety button to prevent children from accidentally pressing and burning themselves. Some months ago, I needed to get hot water from the dispenser for the first time and found that I could not work the silly safety button for the life of me. Our 7-year-old who was watching me struggle (the very one whom the safety button was most intended for) came over and said, “Mama let me help you.” He did whatever it was (seemed really simple), and I had a scalding hot cup of tea in under a minute. It was then that it hit me that these babies were always drinking tea even though I never heard the kettle boil. 

I am learning that even tiger parents can be excluded when they are present. Our children can and will eventually outsmart us at a much younger age than we expect. They can speak a foreign language using words of a language they are fluent in. I have avoided the temptation to demand that they include me in their conversations. I have asked to be enlightened, and there has been much laughter. I love laughter; it is the stuff from which healthy memories are made.

What we tell them constantly though, is, that we do not have to understand or even hear what you are saying among yourselves and with your friends, but one thing that we ask you to remember is that everything you say and do, or do not say or do not is a choice between life and death. Remember to choose life.

Note. To this day, I still call them to help me get hot water out of the darned dispenser.


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