The Poisonous Berries

Pesky Pippi
Nov 7 · 2 min read
So beautiful, yet dangerous if ingested.

A long time ago, when my children were very young, we had a beautiful berry bush in our front yard. Bright red poisonous berries, looking delicious enough to take a nibble — inviting my children, “come and savor my deliciousness.”

That prompted me to take the gardening pruners to chop chop chop down that bush. I couldn’t have a dangerous-and-tantalizing plant beckoning my children. Not in my yard.

Problem solved. No more danger. My children are safe.

Funny. And so far from the truth!

When our children are young, we parents try to remove the obstacles and scary things. We want to protect them from danger and shield them from violence.

But, we can’t baby gate all the stairs in the world. We can’t cut down all the poisonous bushes in the world.

Our children grow. And the dangers and obstacles and poisons and challenges intensify.

Along the way, we can teach our children about overcoming obstacles, dealing with challenges, managing stressful situations, handling difficult people, dealing with drama and loss.

Being resilient, being capable, being strong, being empowered.

It’s doing the hard things. It’s learning independence. It’s thriving.

Two of my children are now teenagers. They are navigating high school and becoming adults. My oldest is in the U.S. Army. He’s navigating the military, jumping out of airplanes, living in a foreign country. He’s only 20.

Today, I saw these beautiful red berries and it reminded me of the time I lopped that bush down. I had to chuckle.

Parenting requires fertilizer to fuel, support, and nurture our children’s growth, not pruning shears.

Written by

Big heart, big dog. Mother of 3. Instagram: @PeskyPippi

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