saying no

Every now and then even middle children stop and say, "Enough."  Or, "I need to do what is right for me."  Or, "No, I will not be made a fool, or at least more of a fool than I already am." Or, "No.  Really.  That wasn't all right."

I did that this weekend.  Stepped back, assessed, and said (politely) no.

I do this so rarely, so twice-a-year tops, that is always shocking, even to me, when I step forward, boldly, to declare what it is that I actually want.  Writing to my son, telling him the story, he wrote back, encouraging, as he does.

Sometimes you have to do what is right for you, he said.  And if you can do it kindly, all the better.